California Catholic Diocese Declares Bankruptcy Over Hundreds of Sex Abuse Lawsuits.

The Catholic Diocese of Oakland has filed for bankruptcy amid 330 sex abuse lawsuits in an effort to stabilize its finances. Most of the claims center on sex abuse crimes that occurred in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s by priests who are no longer active in ministry or are deceased. The bankruptcy will allow the diocese to “stabilize its finances and continue the sacred mission entrusted to us by Christ and the Church,” Bishop Michael C. Barber said. All Catholic schools that operate in the diocese will not be impacted, as they are separate legal entities and are not included in the filing. The Survivors Network, known as SNAP, said the bankruptcy is an attempt to deny justice and transparency to survivors.