PORTLAND (OR)
The Oregonian
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny: Broached the subject of bankruptcy in a June 2003 letter to parishioners, noting that such an action would be "a very last resort." Before the bankruptcy filing, Vlazny sought the advice and support of his staff, clergy advisers, finance council and lawyers. "None of these people has signaled that we went the wrong way, and I certainly don't feel that way."
Former Portland Archbishop William J. Levada: One of the Roman Catholic Church's foremost authorities on child sexual-abuse policies, he is being sought to testify in the bankruptcy case. Levada, who served from 1986 to 1995 in Portland, will be asked about the Portland archdiocese's practices and policies for handling accusations of clergy sex abuse.
The Rev. Maurice Grammond: Died in 2002. He had been accused of molesting more than 50 boys over a 20-year period, more than any other accused priest in the Archdiocese of Portland. In 1991, Levada, then archbishop, suspended Grammond for refusing to cooperate after Levada learned of the accusations. In 2000, the archdiocese settled with 25 accusers. Two more Grammond claims, including one that sought more than $135 million in damages before the bankruptcy filing, will be mediated next month.