In announcing that the Archdiocese of Santa Fe would seek bankruptcy protection, Archbishop John Wester said that the action would help ensure fair compensation for sex-abuse victims, according to the Albuquerque Journal editorial. His office went on to proclaim in a diocesan letter distributed to the faithful at Mass last Sunday that “for over 25 years, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has been a leader among its peers in addressing sexual abuse of children by clergy.” Wester is correct on the first point, given the number of potential cases pending and others not yet filed. Victims will be represented and have their days in court. They may do so confidentially if they wish, but in general these proceedings will be public. And bankruptcy protection will allow the Archdiocese to continue to provide valuable services through parishes and schools even as lawyers and the court sort through financial questions like what the Archdiocese’s assets really are and determine the status of assets transferred to parishes by the Archdiocese in recent years, according to the editorial. While the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has taken meaningful steps to stop abuse and to compensate and counsel victims — some 300 claims to date — the archdiocese has been anything but transparent, according to the commentary. It fought tooth and nail to keep court files secret until Judge Alan Malott ordered them opened up last year at the request of KOB-TV. Meanwhile, new disclosures and allegations continue to mount, putting the past conduct of the church under a microscope.
*The views expressed in this commentary are from the author/publication cited, are meant for informative purposes only, and are not an official position of ABI.