HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) —
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court Middle District confirms that the Diocese of Harrisburg is filing for bankruptcy.
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Bishop Ronald W. Gainer and the diocese's legal counsel held a press conference Tuesday afternoon regarding the filing.
WATCH the press conference below:
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro issued the following statement as a response to the filing:
Our Grand Jury Report uncovered abuse of children by priests, including 45 predator priests in the Diocese of Harrisburg, and a systematic cover up spanning decades that went from dioceses in Pennsylvania all the way up to the Vatican. It is of no surprise to me that these dioceses who engaged in sophisticated cover up of child sexual abuse have found a legal maneuver to skirt responsibility, absolve themselves financially, and continue to avoid transparency. This is yet another attempt to deny survivors the justice that they are owed by the Church.This chapter of the Bankruptcy Code generally provides for reorganization, usually involving a corporation or partnership. A chapter 11 debtor usually proposes a plan of reorganization to keep its business alive and pay creditors over time. People in business or individuals can also seek relief in chapter 11.Kelly Walsh is an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy for Scaringi Law. She joined the CBS21 team for a live in studio interview to break down what this filing means for victims and those who attend the church. Watch below:
You can read the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing below:
Of the 301 "predator priests" identified in the report, 45 of the named offenders were from the Harrisburg Diocese.
A Survivor Compensation Program was set up in February 2019. While Bishop Gainer helped set up the program, he was not part of the claims process. A third party, commonwealth mediation and conciliation administered the program.
"The Diocese will be the same tomorrow as it is today. This is an attempt to get the Diocese on good, solid financial footing."
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