Handing a key legal victory to survivors of clergy sexual abuse, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood on Saturday ruled the assets of Catholic parishes and schools belong to the Archdiocese of Agana as a whole — and could therefore be used to help pay abuse claimants, the Guam Daily Post reported. The judge's ruling capped a three-year-old request from hundreds of survivors, represented by Leo Tudela. Millions of dollars worth of buildings, parking lots, vehicles, cemeteries, bank accounts and other parish and school property are now part of the archdiocese's bankruptcy estate, which could be liquidated. But the judge and the creditors committee, along with the archdiocese, said the end goal is to justly compensate the abuse survivors while keeping the parishes, schools and ministries open.
