As Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger said last week that a chapter 11 filing by Buffalo’s Catholic diocese is probable in the onslaught of lawsuits from individuals making claims of clergy sex abuse, the diocese needs to be as forthcoming about the abuses its priests and bishop committed, according to a Buffalo (N.Y.) News editorial. While having claims against the diocese moved to bankruptcy court may ultimately result in a more equitable financial settlement for some of the victims than if their cases remain in civil court, it can still leave many feeling they are denied a full hearing. The Buffalo Diocese has been named as a defendant in more than 225 Child Victims Act cases — more than any other entity in the state. The act, signed into law in February 2019 after years of opposition from the Catholic Church, provides a one-year look-back period in which adult survivors of sexual abuse, up until their 55th birthday, can sue an abuser or a negligent institution.
