389,000 Catholics named defendants
Portland, Oregon —
Around the middle of next month, thousands of Oregon households will get a letter informing them that, as parishioners of the 124 Catholic churches in Western Oregon, they are officially part of the class of defendants in the Portland Archdiocese's bankruptcy case.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris formally certified the class on Friday.
The action is nearly unprecedented: Commonly, it is the plaintiffs, not the defendants, who organize as a class in civil cases.
But in this case, parishioners will argue that it is they — not the archdiocese — who own the $600 million in assets and property of the parishes.
If they lose the argument, then that money is considered fair game for the 235 men and women who have sued the church, alleging they suffered sexual abuse at the hands of priests.
In that case, the assets of the 124 parishes and three Catholic high schools in Western Oregon could be sold or mortgaged to pay the alleged victims' claims.
But if the parishioners win, that money is off-limits to the plaintiffs; the archdiocese proper says it has only about $19 million to its name.
There are 249 claims pending against the archdiocese by people alleging they were sexually abused by priests. They are seeking more than $400 million in damages.
More than 100 cases have been settled, some dating from alleged abuse that took place as far back as 1937. Mediation is to begin on 60 more cases next month.
Read the article at .: Corvallis Gazette-Times Dated July 23, 2005
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Around the middle of next month, thousands of Oregon households will get a letter informing them that, as parishioners of the 124 Catholic churches in Western Oregon, they are officially part of the class of defendants in the Portland Archdiocese's bankruptcy case.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris formally certified the class on Friday.
The action is nearly unprecedented: Commonly, it is the plaintiffs, not the defendants, who organize as a class in civil cases.
But in this case, parishioners will argue that it is they — not the archdiocese — who own the $600 million in assets and property of the parishes.
If they lose the argument, then that money is considered fair game for the 235 men and women who have sued the church, alleging they suffered sexual abuse at the hands of priests.
In that case, the assets of the 124 parishes and three Catholic high schools in Western Oregon could be sold or mortgaged to pay the alleged victims' claims.
But if the parishioners win, that money is off-limits to the plaintiffs; the archdiocese proper says it has only about $19 million to its name.
There are 249 claims pending against the archdiocese by people alleging they were sexually abused by priests. They are seeking more than $400 million in damages.
More than 100 cases have been settled, some dating from alleged abuse that took place as far back as 1937. Mediation is to begin on 60 more cases next month.
Read the article at .: Corvallis Gazette-Times Dated July 23, 2005
posted by God Almighty Himself at 4:00 PM
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