Stockton, Calif., Sep 11, 2013 / 23:02 pm
The bishop of Stockton, California has told his parishioners that all the funds for settling sexual abuse lawsuits have been used, and that bankruptcy may be the only option for financial reorganization.
"We continue to investigate our options, and no final decisions have been reached. I feel, however, that it is important to tell you that options other than filing for bankruptcy protection have not emerged," Bishop Stephen E. Blaire said in a Sept. 6 letter to the diocese.
In the last decade, the diocese has spent nearly 20 million dollars on sex abuse lawsuits.
If Stockton decides to file for bankruptcy, it will be the tenth diocese to do so, after the Diocese of Gallup, N.M., announced last week that it has also decided to do so.