The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento will seek chapter 11 bankruptcy protection next year, Bishop Jaime Soto announced on Dec. 9, as it faces hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by clergy, the Carmichael Times reported. The diocese oversees Catholic parishes in much of Northern California, including Sacramento County. In a letter published online and distributed to parishioners at local churches, Soto said he expects to file for bankruptcy protection in March 2024. “It is now clear to me that the only respectful, transparent, and fair way to address the substantial number of claims by those who have been abused by clergy and other members of the Church is to seek a court-supervised reorganization. This process will also allow me to sustain the sanctifying, teaching, and charitable work of the Catholic community in Northern California,” the letter read. Soto said more than 250 lawsuits alleging abuse have been filed against the diocese. Without reorganization, “it is likely that not all the abuse victim-survivors would receive a fair consideration of their claim,” he said, with available funds being “depleted” in the first cases brought forward. A law firm that represents people alleging clerical abuse, including cases in the Sacramento diocese, criticized the decision. “On behalf of the many survivors who were gravely hurt, we react with deep disappointment in the choice made by the Bishop of Sacramento to seek bankruptcy protection from accountability,” Jeff Anderson and Associates said in a press release. The release said other dioceses have used bankruptcy filings to delay court cases and prevent “full disclosure.”
