The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said Friday it could declare bankruptcy in the coming months as it faces “staggering” legal costs in dealing with nearly 400 lawsuits accusing priests and others of sexually abusing children. have to do.
In a letter that was expected to be shared with parishioners later this week, Bishop Robert McElroy said the cases were filed after California lifted the statute of limitations on childhood sex abuse claims.
Assembly Bill 218, which was signed into law in 2019, allows alleged victims up to the age of 40 to sue.
Most of the alleged abuses cited in the lawsuits occurred 50 to 75 years ago, and the earliest claims date back to 1945, Kevin Ackery, the province’s communications director, said at a press conference on Friday, KNSD-TV reported.
Acceri predicted it would cost the diocese $550 million to settle the cases, none of which have gone to trial.
In his letter, the bishop said none of the lawsuits involved allegations against any currently serving priest.
“It reflects the reality that the Church has made great strides in rooting out the sexual abuse of minors in their lives and promoting the protection of minors,” McElroy wrote.
Still, the diocese is facing “staggering” legal costs and most of its assets were used to settle past allegations with a $198 million payment in 2007, McElroy wrote.
“Even with insurance, the diocese will no longer be able to pay the same amount,” the letter said. “This challenge is heightened by the fact that a bill has now been introduced in the Legislature that seeks to do away with the statute of limitations entirely, leaving the diocese vulnerable to potential lawsuits forever.”
The bishop said the bankruptcy would “provide a path” for the diocese to compensate sexual abuse victims in the course of carrying out its ministries.
The diocese has more than 100 active priests and covers an area of more than 8,800 square miles (about 22,800 square kilometers) with a Catholic population of about 1.4 million, according to its website, including San Diego and Imperial counties.