PORTLAND (OR)
BBC News
Property owned by a US Roman Catholic archdiocese can be used as assets in abuse claim cases, a court has ruled.
Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris ruled the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, not its parishes owns church assets.
The decision has dealt a major blow to the archdiocese's efforts to protect church property from claims filed by alleged victims of priest sex abuse.
Portland declared itself bankrupt in July 2004, saying it could not meet the cost of abuse claim cases.