A law making it easier for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits goes into effect Sunday, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore is already preparing for how to pay survivors, the Baltimore Sun reported. The Child Victims Act, passed in April on the heels of a state attorney general’s report that details the history of how Catholic clergy and lay people abused children and how the church covered it up, will likely result in dozens, if not hundreds, of lawsuits against the diocese. With civil suits looming, Archbishop William E. Lori is openly suggesting that America’s oldest Catholic diocese will consider filing for bankruptcy as a means to protect itself and limit liability. Should that happen, the diocese’s assets — its cash, investments and, most importantly, its property — will be used to pay off the victims turned creditors. But determining what the diocese actually owns versus what it controls is murky business, mired in corporate filings rooted in long-standing canonical law. For at least three decades, the Archdiocese of Baltimore has carefully shuffled its assets into a variety of legal entities to protect them in the event of legal troubles. The proof is in the paperwork. St. Louis Parish in Clarksville, the site of some of the most horrific abuse and torture described in the Maryland attorney general’s report, is owned not by the archdiocese but by an entity known as St. Louis’ Roman Catholic Congregation Inc. Yet a review of public records shows that even though this religious corporation owns the parish, it remains under the control of the diocese. (Subscription required.)
