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	Listecki Officially Announces Archdiocese Bankruptcy Action By Georgia Pabst Milwaukee Journal Sentinel January 4, 2011 http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/112887349.html On the first anniversary of his installation, Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki announced Tuesday afternoon that the archdiocese will file Chapter 11 reorganization under bankruptcy laws. "Little did I imagine that one year later I would be making this announcement," he said at a news conference at the Archbishop Cousins Center to announce the action. He said the decision had been made after "much planning and prayer." The bankruptcy petition will not include parishes, schools and other Catholic entities that are separately incorporated, he said. This also includes hospitals and charities that are incorporated separately, he said. Just before the news conference, a group of advocates for the victims of clergy sex abuse said bankruptcy allows Listecki to avoid depositions and questions under oath in court about the abuse cases. "This is about protecting church secrets, not church assets," said David Clohessy, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "The goal here is to prevent top church managers from being questioned under oath about their complicity, not compensating victims fairly." Milwaukee is believed to be the eighth U.S. Catholic archdiocese to seek bankruptcy protection. The others are Tucson, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.; Spokane, Wash.; Fairbanks, Alaska; Wilmington, Del.; San Diego, Calif; and Davenport, Iowa. What effect will this have on those in the pew? "For Catholics in the pews it will come as a distress looking at the bankruptcy, but at same time they will hear the message of possibility for new beginnings, and it's new beginnings that we will build on." He said the bankruptcy won't cut services of the priests. The action doesn't protect any assets, he said. "It's not about the assets," Listecki said. "Some may argue that, but we diligently and candidly placed that before the attorney representing plaintiffs." The bankruptcy filing also is not about protecting secrets, he said. "There's nothing to hide," he said.
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