Catholic Archdioceses in California file for bankruptcy amid clergy sex abuse claims
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This week the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco filed for bankruptcy protection. Here in California, it joins the Diocese of Oakland and the Diocese of Santa Rosa, which also filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this year. And the Diocese of San Diego says it plans to file later this year. The church says these moves are because of an overwhelming number of claims of clergy sex abuse. Joining me now is NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose. Hi, Jason.
JASON DEROSE, BYLINE: Hello.
CHANG: OK, so three bankruptcy filings here in California alone within just a few months, another one likely on the way. What is going on here?
DEROSE: Well, the short answer is the #MeToo movement. Back in 2019, the California legislature passed a law that created a special window to bring older abuse claims outside the normal statute of limitations. Now, this window, which closed at the end of last year, was in response to the #MeToo movement, and it provided an opportunity for older survivors of clergy sex abuse to bring claims, too. And similar windows were opened in several other states as well, including New York and Louisiana.
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