The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, New York announced that on Wednesday it filed a petition for bankruptcy reorganization in federal bankruptcy court. The Bishop’s letter to the faithful said in part:
We maintain global mediation would have provided the most equitable distribution of the Diocese’s limited financial resources but as more Child Victims Act (CVA) cases reached large settlements, those limited funds have been depleted. The Chapter 11 filing is the best way, at this point, to ensure that all Victim/Survivors with pending CVA litigation will receive some compensation. The decision to file was not arrived at easily, but we, as a Church, can get through this and grow stronger together.
To date, the Diocese has been named in more than 400 CVA lawsuits which were filed between Aug. 15, 2019, and Aug. 14, 2021. With the assistance of the Court and demonstrating its ongoing good faith commitment to Victim/Survivor claims, the Diocese has separately settled more than 50 CVA cases….
This filing also puts on hold the lawsuits involving the St Clare’s pensioners. That was not our purpose for filing. While many questions remain regarding the St. Clare’s pension fund, the plight of the pensioners is of great concern to me. The St. Clare’s pensioners are certainly close to my heart and, as I would do with anyone in a difficult situation, I offer my pastoral care.
CNA reports on the bankruptcy filing.