The Archdiocese of Baltimore has filed for bankruptcy protection, in anticipation of a flood of lawsuits, as a new Maryland law lifts the statute of limitations for sex-abuse claims.
The Baltimore archdiocese—the oldest diocese in the US—will join 29 other Catholic dioceses that have sought federal bankruptcy protection in the wake of the sex-abuse scandal.
Archbishop William Lori said that bankruptcy is necessary “to equitably compensate victim-survivors of child sexual abuse.” The archdiocese has estimated its assets at between $100 and $500 million, and its liabilities at between $500 million and $1 billion.