Remember how it was claimed when the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee filed bankruptcy that the move would allow the Archdiocese to honestly address the claims of sex abuse victims? At the time those familiar with the details of the filing said that the real motive behind the filing was to (i) protect Church assets and (ii) screw the victims of sex abuse by priests. These predictions have turned out to be right on the mark and as the National Catholic Reporter has indicted, the victims of priestly sex abuse will be screwed over and receive nothing for the harm they suffered. Frankly, it is par for the course with the Catholic Church and shows the lie of Pope Francis' claims that the Church is going to get serious about sex abuse. Absent dramatic action by Francis, we once again see that the true god of the Church hierarchy is - as it always has been - money. Here are story details:
The Milwaukee archdiocese will walk away from bankruptcy relatively unscathed if its proposed reorganization plan is accepted by Judge Susan V. Kelley.
Although it was lawsuits brought by 570 alleged childhood victims of clergy sex abuse that forced the archdiocese into bankruptcy court, a close reading of the 337-page document shows that the vast majority of those claims will get no financial compensation from a $4 million fund for survivors.
Most other creditors in the case will be paid, although some will get less than they say they are due.
The archdiocese has no plans to reduce its annual $24 million operating budget or sell any property. It will have to put some property up as collateral to "borrow" $2 million from the controversial cemetery perpetual care trust fund -- the same $57 million fund church officials fought to keep out of the bankruptcy case that is now being appealed.
If the plan is not adopted, litigation could continue for another five years, cost another $14 million and mean that each individual survivor who filed a claim would have a separate trial, according to the archdiocese.
The judge has scheduled a hearing with lawyers for the claimants at 10:30 a.m. Central time Tuesday.
Monica Barrett is among the 80 percent of abuse claims that the archdiocese says is not eligible for compensation. Barrett said she was sexually abused in 1968 at the age of 8 by William Effinger, one of the archdiocese's most prolific abusers.
She likened the conduct of the archdiocese in the bankruptcy case to that of predators. "They lure the victim in by saying, 'Come forward, and we will treat you fairly and put an end to all this,' and then they do this," she said. "They are revictimizing the victims."
Lawyers representing the majority of the survivors for nearly a decade said it is unlikely they will accept the plan. Kelley has the authority to "cram down" -- force the plan to be accepted by unwilling claimants -- but an appeal is likely.
The archdiocese says only 128 of the claims are eligible for compensation and could receive approximately $27,000 per person. The other survivors will get no financial settlement, but the archdiocese may provide therapy to some or work with others to get responsible parties to pay for therapy.
For those who do not understand why I left the Catholic Church, all I can say is open your fucking eyes and look at situations like this one in Milwaukee. If you do not walk away form this morally bankrupt institution, you become complicit in these vile deeds and become guilty. Moral and decent people will walk away. Those who do not show themselves for the morally bankrupt people that they are.
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