The Archdiocese of San Francisco will "very likely" file for bankruptcy in order to deal with a wave of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by its priests and other employees and volunteers going back decades, the archbishop said, according to a Los Angeles Times report. In an open letter on Friday, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said the option was the result of "much contemplation and prayer" and arose from discussions with lawyers and financial advisors. More than 500 civil lawsuits alleging abuse were filed against the Catholic archdiocese between 2020 and 2022, when California temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on such allegations against churches and other institutions. Cordileone said that filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy would allow the archdiocese "to deal with the hundreds of cases collectively rather than one at a time" and "reorganize its financial affairs to continue its vital ministries to the faithful and to the communities that rely on our services and charity." The archdiocese would not be the first in California to take such action. Bankruptcy has been filed or mulled by dioceses across the state, including in Oakland, Santa Rosa, Sacramento and San Diego.
