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   From: ebunge@paloaltou.edu   
      
   The Catholic Church in Guam has announced plans to file Chapter   
   11 bankruptcy, in an attempt to cope with the scores of sexual   
   abuse claims against clergy in the U.S. territory. Archbishop   
   Michael Byrnes said the Archdiocese of Agana settled on the move   
   as the most expedient way to support the alleged victims.   
      
   "Over the last two years, we've done our best. We've   
   strengthened our policies for a safe environment. We've educated   
   over 2,000 people in the practices of safe environment   
   protection of minors. We've made a lot of great strides," Byrnes   
   said at a news conference Wednesday.   
      
   "But our biggest issue is the almost 200 victim survivors of   
   sexual abuse."   
      
   Byrnes took over as archbishop on the West Pacific island in   
   2016, shortly after his predecessor, Anthony Apuron, was   
   suspended under a cloud of suspicion. Apuron has been accused of   
   sexually abusing minors — including his own nephew -- and   
   helping to cover up similar abuses by priests and other Catholic   
   authority figures in Guam. The allegations date back decades.   
      
   Earlier this year the Vatican convicted Apuron of unspecified   
   charges, removed him from office and forbade him from returning   
   to the territory, according to the Catholic News Agency. Apuron   
   has flatly denied the allegations; the news service notes that   
   Pope Francis is personally considering his appeal.   
      
   Meanwhile, back in Guam, the Catholic Church has been buried   
   under a mound of lawsuits connected to the accusations. Keith   
   Talbot, an attorney for the Church, said the decision to file   
   bankruptcy grew out of information gleaned from mediation   
   sessions beginning in September.   
      
   "Bankruptcy does two really good things for us. One is finality   
   for the archdiocese going forward," Talbot explained. As part   
   for the process, a judge will set a deadline — effectively a   
   kind of statute of limitations — for claimants to come forward   
   with any new lawsuits. "The other part is that bankruptcy is the   
   method to deliver the greatest measure of justice to the   
   greatest number of victims."   
      
   In this respect, Leander James agrees. He's an attorney with the   
   firm James, Vernon and Weeks, which is representing nearly a   
   dozen of the alleged victims.   
      
   "I think this bankruptcy was necessary to create an avenue   
   toward a final settlement," James told NPR. "It will also   
   provide the archdiocese a road out of this dark jungle it's been   
   in. For years now, they've been trying to find their way out. I   
   think this may provide that path."   
      
   When the archdiocese sets down that path, likely officially   
   filing bankruptcy in December or January, it will not be the   
   first to do so. Far from it, in fact.   
      
   To this point at least 19 dioceses and religious orders have   
   filed — or announced their intention to file — for bankruptcy   
   protection in the U.S. in efforts to settle sexual abuse claims,   
   according to Catholic watchdog BishopAccountability.org.   
      
   Along with lawsuits, the church was hit with a damning   
   Pennsylvania grand jury probe released in August. That 900-page   
   report, which implicated some 300 "predator priests," has   
   inspired state and local officials to launch investigations of   
   their own across the country.   
      
   To date, claims of clergy sex abuse have cost the Church more   
   than $3 billion in major settlements and awards doled out to   
   alleged victims.   
      
   https://www.npr.org/2018/11/07/665276472/guams-catholic-church-   
   to-file-bankruptcy-amid-deluge-of-sex-abuse-lawsuits   
            
      
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