The Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud will become the fourth Minnesota Catholic institution to declare bankruptcy following a flood of clergy sex abuse claims, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. Its announcement reinforced Minnesota’s position as the state with the largest number of bankruptcies related to clergy sex abuse. It follows dioceses in New Ulm and Duluth, as well as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which filed for chapter 11 in 2015. The St. Cloud diocese is facing 74 claims of clergy sex abuse. Thirty-one clergy serving 30 parishes are accused of abusing children over the decades.
