Jan 8, 2006 / 22:00 pm
A decision by federal bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris against the Archdiocese of Portland “will lead to a new class of victims and cause more suffering among the children and the needy of Oregon,” said lawyer Robert Le Chevallier in a column in last week’s Oregonian.
Two weeks ago, Perris ruled that the assets of Catholic parishes and schools are subject to the hundreds of millions of dollars in claims of child sex-abuse plaintiffs.
“Generations of Catholics contributed their hard-earned salaries to build those parishes, schools and social service agencies,” said Le Chevallier. These groups also established endowment funds to enable those of modest means to attend Catholic schools but, because of the judge’s decision, these funds are among those that can be tapped for compensation.
The decision also puts funds used to provide millions of dollars in charitable services each year at risk. These services include social services to the poor, refugees and immigrants, the elderly and the sick, Le Chevallier pointed out.