posted on September 21, 2004 02:56:39 AM newDiocese of Tucson Files for Bankruptcy
Sep 20, 10:49 PM EDT
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson filed for bankruptcy Monday, becoming the second U.S. diocese to seek court protection because of the cost of clerical sex abuse cases.
Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas told parishioners in a letter that filing the voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization offered "the best opportunity for healing (huh!) and for the just and fair compensation of those who suffered sexual abuse by workers for the church in our diocese."
But a plaintiffs' attorney said the church was going into bankruptcy partly as a public relations move aimed at making victims appear overly aggressive.
Financial operations of the Tucson Diocese will now be subject to court scrutiny for the first time, potentially opening the way for non-church interference. Kicanas told parishioners in June that bankruptcy appeared to be the only option remaining for the diocese, which serves 350,000 Catholics in more than 70 parishes.
The Tucson Diocese settled 11 abuse lawsuits filed by 16 plaintiffs for more than $10 million two years ago, said Cliff Altfeld, a bankruptcy attorney working with lawyers representing alleged victims of abuse. By the latest count, 22 more molestation claims with 34 plaintiffs have been brought against the diocese.
According to its financial statement, the diocese had $4.65 million in long-term debt and a $7 million deficit in unrestricted net assets as of June 30.
The Portland (Ore.) Archdiocese became the first American diocese to file for bankruptcy on July 6. The Boston Archdiocese and Dallas Diocese both considered filing for bankruptcy because of abuse cases but avoided doing so.
Kicanas said his diocese will continue working toward settlements in the cases against it, despite the filing.
However, "I could not have agreed to a settlement if it would have meant stripping the diocese of everything and thus limiting our ability to respond to the needs of others who have been hurt who may come forward in the future," the bishop said.
The reorganization plan calls for most creditors to be paid through the diocese's regular operation. Plaintiffs in sex abuse cases, however, would be paid through a special pool, said Susan Boswell, the bankruptcy attorney for the diocese.
The pool would include $3.2 million from the diocese in addition to money contributed by insurance companies and others the diocese believes should share responsibility, she said. It is not clear how large the total pool would be.
Abuse victims could either seek a jury trial or a judgment from a court-appointed official on their claims.
Plaintiffs' advocates saw the filing as an attempt to deflect responsibility.
The church "is using this bankruptcy as a public relations tool to make the victims appear to be the predators of the diocese," victims' attorney Lynne Cadigan said.
In Chicago, Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said "hundreds of cases have been settled (elsewhere) by bishops who decided to put healing first. And we think that's what's really important."
Plaintiffs' lawyers believe the diocese has enough money to settle the cases now pending. They filed a motion recently in Yuma County Superior Court seeking to block the diocese from transferring properties to affiliated Catholic bodies before a trial scheduled later this month.
Cadigan and law partner Kim Williamson said plaintiffs discovered that the diocese had transferred five properties between March and June.
"Such transfers may be designed to remove assets from the diocese in advance of a trial ... in an attempt to shield such assets from collection efforts" if the plaintiffs were to win damages, the motion said.
Kicanas denied that the property transfers were an attempt to protect assets. He said they were long-planned steps to help finance new school buildings.
Wow! Let's see. Now we have a organization that doesn't pay any taxes on it's income or property (we, the taxpayers make up the difference). Members of their organization rape young boys, and the predators are protected by the organization. The organization hires attorneys to use the court system to fight and limit the settlements. They also use the court system to file bankruptcy over the intentional actions of their members. When their insurance company pays out all of these millions of dollars, the other people using that company will enjoy a nice increase in their premiums.
And while all of this is happening, this same organization uses the court system and it's political power to prevent gay men and women to becoming legally married. What a pompous, arrogant bunch of bigoted slime balls
This is a thread that focuses on the true face of religion.
posted on September 21, 2004 05:40:58 PM new
Gee, homosexual pedophiles are destroying their organization. I don't know why they would have any angst to grind with those of the unisexual persuasion, hmmmmm?
posted on September 21, 2004 08:26:46 PM new
I can never imagine how man can abstain from sex??
anyway,the Pope is infallible and he could speak to God and ask Him to let them have sex.
Birds and beasts do it,so can the roman catholic priests.
Back in the old days,there were prostitutes close to temples and they served the priests,some are male prostitutes.
-sig file -------Life is one big happy 'All You Can Eat' buffet .
posted on September 21, 2004 10:49:14 PM newAnyway I hope the church and any other criminal element goes down the toilet.
Me too. Quickly flushed down into a slimy filthy septic tank where human waste thrives.
parklane,
What's the matter? Nothing to counter the truth of this issue? Again, only an attack and no defense. The truth of the matter is there is no defense to this behavior.
Wow! Let's see. Now we have a organization that doesn't pay any taxes on it's income or property (we, the taxpayers make up the difference). Members of their organization rape young boys, and the predators are protected by the organization. The organization hires attorneys to use the court system to fight and limit the settlements. They also use the court system to file bankruptcy over the intentional actions of their members. When their insurance company pays out all of these millions of dollars, the other people using that company will enjoy a nice increase in their premiums.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on September 21, 2004 11:50:31 PM new
Stopwhining , your stupid president thinks people can abstain from sex and that would end the abortion issue Duh...he's just so stupid!
AND: A pedophile preys on children. It doesn't matter if they're gay or straight or anything else. Being able to marry or not has NOTHING to do with pedophilia.
posted on September 22, 2004 09:11:45 AM new
twelve,
this thread is about a church filing for bankruptcy. They need to do this in the fact their members raped young boys and now they have to pay for it. It has nothing to do with homosexuality. It might to you, in the fact that you seem to have hard time seeing the difference between them. But then again, this might just be another case of not being able to defend, so attack instead.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on September 22, 2004 09:57:32 AM new
yeager,
Look at the prison and the sexual abuses some prisoners have to endure,can we say this is partly caused by the absence of women??
can weaker males and young boys substitute for women??
-sig file -------Life is one big happy 'All You Can Eat' buffet .
posted on September 22, 2004 10:37:42 AM newcan weaker males and young boys substitute for women??
Absolutely not!
In the case of weaker males, the ACLU just won a case allowing inmates to sue the prison administration for failing to protect rape victims in prison. There are many female prisoners that are raped by male guards too. I have a friend who is a guard at a Southeastern Michigan prison. He told me the GUARDS are also involved in forcing sex on inmates. How sick is that?
As for the pedophile priests raping young boys, there shouldn't be any further need to discuss that. They are the sickest of the sick!!
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on September 22, 2004 10:48:51 AM new
I think it very much has to do with homosexuality. Each case would have to be examined on it's own. But if they weren't homosexuals...they'd be raping/molesting little girls...not boys.
Many pedophiles rape/molest young girls....they'd be of the heterosexual type....not the homosexual type.
posted on September 22, 2004 02:57:09 PM new
Linda,
Again you try to blend the two issues. The word pedophile does not differentiate between one who molests a male or female. It is a person who has a sexual attraction to a pre-adolescent child.
Now, try this exercises.
Say the word homosexual ten times.
Then say the word pedophile ten times.
You will notice they sound differently, that is because they have different meanings and are different words.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on September 22, 2004 05:49:10 PM new
you hear more about pedophiles raping boys than girls,may be the parents are more watchful of girls??
Where I live,,boys come to the door selling cookie dough,pizza bread etc,but so far i have only seen one girl and she is accompanied by entourage of 2 boys and a baby in the carriage .
It is good to know ACLU is doing something,who is that woman who drowned her two boys by pushing the car in the lake,she was raped by prison guard.
In prison,some male prisoners finally just cut their own wrist,they just cannot endure it anymore.
-sig file -------Life is one big happy 'All You Can Eat' buffet .
posted on September 22, 2004 06:11:55 PM new
ahhh the liar crowfart chimed in... can't even keep her own word and has the gall to question others.... how amusing.
Prevent Bigotry through Education.
