Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said on Tuesday that his church will file for bankruptcy protection because the forthcoming sex-related accusations may leave it in claims it cannot possibly pay.
Over the past 20 years, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee had already spent $29 million in paying almost 200 lawsuits, said the bishop.
According to the lawyer handling many of the cases, the bankruptcy move of the archdiocese was merely a delay tactic to prohibit publicizing its records.
The Huffington Post reported that bankruptcy protection will make the church continue with its activities and ensure victims that they will receive the deserved compensation.
Feeling 'deeply ashamed' of what had happened within the religious community, the bishop said, "In my installation homily on 4 January 2010, I spoke of the devastation of sin and its effect on us personally and as a community."
He added, "We see the result of that sin today. This action is occurring because priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, going against everything the church and the priesthood represents."
The archdiocese is the eighth to file for bankruptcy in the US since sex scandals among the clergy caught public attention in Boston in 2002.
Other sex-related offences of the church were reported in Fairbanks, Alaska; Tucson, Ariz.; Wilmington, Del.; Davenport, Iowa; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; and Spokane, Wash.
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