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	Diocese, Creditors Want More Time to File Plan By Gregg Hennigan The Gazette August 13, 2007 http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070813/NEWS/70813060/1006/NEWS Davenport — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport, with the support of the creditors committee in its bankruptcy case, has asked for an extension to file its bankruptcy reorganization plan. The two sides filed a joint motion in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa requesting the deadline, set for Wednesday, be moved to Oct. 1. The plan would then have to be approved by Nov. 30. The diocese, which includes about 105,000 Catholics, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October in the face of mounting lawsuits from its clergy sexual abuse scandal. A total of 156 claims from alleged abuse victims have been filed in the case, according to court records. The reorganization plan will detail how the diocese plans to emerge from bankruptcy and how much it will pay its creditors, many of whom are abuse victims. The diocese and the creditors committee said in the motion that they want more time to explore possible insurance coverage that could add millions of dollars to the settlement. The diocese recently hired two consulting firms to investigate its insurance policies from about 50 years ago, when much of the alleged abuse occurred. The two sides also said they want more time to structure a joint, consensual reorganization plan. They are "well advanced in developing such a plan," the motion said. "Although the Diocese could file a plan of reorganization and disclosure statement by the August 15, 2007 deadline, the Diocese and Committee believe doing so would be both counterproductive and inefficient use of judicial and the estate resources," the motion said. The diocese and the committee said in the motion that they were committed to agreeing to a reorganization plan by the end of this year. Contact: gregg.hennigan@gazettecommunications.com
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