Catholics condemn Archdiocese of Baltimore for bankruptcy response to sexual abuse lawsuits

In matters of abuse, Catholic Church ‘morally and spiritually bankrupt’

It is with disgust, but not surprise, that I read about the Baltimore archdiocese’s plan to consider bankruptcy as a response to their history of child sexual abuse (“Archbishop concedes the Baltimore archdiocese is considering bankruptcy; survivors say they’d oppose the move,” Sept. 5). I would like to particularly respond to two points in Archbishop William Lori’s email to Baltimore archdiocese Catholics.

He states that “victim-survivors … suffered so profoundly from the actions of some ministers of the Church.” This is another blatant refusal to accept the institutional responsibility borne by the Archdiocese of Baltimore and many, many other dioceses. The Baltimore Attorney General’s Office report directly stated that their investigation uncovered “the enormous scope and scale of abuse and concealment perpetrated by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.”

Such findings have been replicated by multiple attorneys general reports throughout the United States and similar investigations in other countries. To even imply that the abuse was only the action of “some ministers of the Church” is to again deny that the sexual abuse of children and the concealment of that abuse has been a systematic policy of the Catholic Church for decades.

The Church continues to place money over morality, possessions over people and preserving their power over the protection of children. As a specific instance of this, Lori, in his letter, essentially “coaches” Catholics how they can assist in the Church policy of sheltering assets from bankruptcy proceedings while continuing to provide money to the diocese during what has been referred to in other emails as “offertory season.” This is a direct attempt, as is bankruptcy filing in general, to subvert the purpose of the Child Victims Act of 2023. In a way it is only too fitting that dioceses of the Catholic Church declare their bankruptcy. The Church proved long ago that it is morally and spiritually totally bankrupt, as officials continue to deny institutional responsibility for heinous actions. Perhaps it is time for the whole corrupt edifice to collapse under the weight of its collective greed, guilt and shame.