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	Church's Gambit Shakes Our Faith Our View: Diocese of San Diego's Bankruptcy Bid Angers Judge and Raises Questions North County Times [San Diego CA] April 10, 2007 http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/04/11/opinion/editorials/18_47_394_10_07.txt Several years have passed since the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal came to light, but the men who run the organization founded by one of history's greatest communicators have yet to master public relations. That is the most charitable explanation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego's latest missteps in its bankruptcy trial. On Tuesday, Judge Louise DeCarl Adler ordered church officials and their lawyers to appear before her to explain why they shouldn't be cited for contempt over an apparent misunderstanding that led to an attempt by the diocese to create new bank accounts for its 98 parishes. Except Judge Adler didn't characterize it as a misunderstanding. Her word was "conspired." At issue is the question of whether money and properties controlled by individual churches and schools are separate from diocesan assets. The diocese has argued that local parish property and funds shouldn't be included in the bankruptcy proceedings. If the judge agrees, less money will be available to creditors, namely those suing the church for past sexual abuses. In court filings, the diocese has confirmed the existence of credible complaints against 38 priests, including 10 who served in North County churches between 1968 and 1994. The Catholic Church in general, and the Diocese of San Diego in particular, have much to answer for. Whether this latest episode was a conspiracy or an honest misunderstanding, the diocese must know by now that its every action will be scrutinized in the worst possible light. If the diocese wants to convince us — and the judge — that bankruptcy was the only way to preserve its financial viability while meeting its responsibility to abuse victims, it shouldn't resort to financial legerdemain. At stake is nothing short of the claims to credibility and moral authority on the part of the diocese and its leader, Bishop Robert Brom. That may not be a charitable conclusion, but it's gospel truth.
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