The Diocese of Stockton, Calif., filed for chapter 11 protection on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported yesterday. The diocese serves an ethnically diverse population of about 250,000 Catholics in a region spanning more than 10,000 square miles. It has paid more than $14 million in settlements and judgments to victims of sexual abuse, and its insurance providers have paid an additional $18 million. The diocese's attorney, Steven Felderstein, said it had roughly $17 million in outstanding debts and that its legal fees for the bankruptcy easily could be $1 million or more.
