"Baltimore Archdiocese Declares Bankruptcy Amidst Looming Child Victims Act"

The Archdiocese of Baltimore, America's oldest Catholic archdiocese, has filed for bankruptcy ahead of the implementation of Maryland's Child Victims Act, which removes the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse victims to sue perpetrators. The bankruptcy filing is aimed at limiting the archdiocese's liability and conserving its assets in the face of numerous expected lawsuits related to its history of child sex abuse. The filing moves ongoing legal actions against the archdiocese to federal bankruptcy court, where they will be consolidated into one case. The bankruptcy process will determine the amount the archdiocese can afford to pay, and claimants will be awarded a percentage of that amount. The bankruptcy filing also restricts further state lawsuits, and any abuse-related complaints filed will be kept confidential. Advocates for victims view the filing as an attempt by the church to limit awareness of the scope of abuse in Catholic churches and schools.