9/14/2012 Chapter 11 Letter - Update

To read it in PDF format, please click here.

Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Office of the archbishop
3501 South Lake Drive, P.O. Box 070912
St. Francis, WI 53235

September 14, 2012
Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Dear Friends in Christ,

As summer begins to wind down, I always find the change of seasons simply amazing. The transition from summer to fall touches every one of our senses. As a baseball fan, I enjoy the annual pennant races as teams scramble to make the playoffs. Of course it is football season too and we now live and die with the Packers.

Fall is also an exciting time because I enjoy watching how our parishes and schools come back to life. The ebb and flow of parish life seems to slow during the summer as we Midwesterners know how to take advantage of the weather and relax and renew our spirits with a little R & R. But, as soon as Labor Day is over, you can sense the enthusiastic return of parish activity. This annual fall communication through the Catholic Stewardship Appeal mailing has also been an opportunity for me to keep in touch with you about the Church in southeastern Wisconsin.

On October 11, I will celebrate Mass at our Cathedral to begin the Year of Faith, called for by Pope Benedict XVI to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This sacred time will provide Catholics locally and throughout the world a precious opportunity to celebrate, deepen and share the spiritual richness of our Catholic faith.

I have also asked a small group of advisors to begin preliminary planning for a diocesan Synod. The Synod process will focus on renewing, planning and visioning for the future of the Catholic Church in southeastern Wisconsin. This process will begin in Advent with a pastoral letter on ecclesiology – a theological reflection on the Church. The Synod will engage representatives from every parish in the archdiocese as well as delegates representing priests, deacons, religious communities and lay groups.

I write to you today on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, September 14. The cross is the universal image of Christian belief. To me it is a constant reminder that there can be no celebration of Easter and the joy of the resurrection, without the celebration of Good Friday and the anguish of Christ’s Passion and death.

That Paschal Mystery is the core of our faith. We recently marked 10 years since the bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in response to the reports of clergy sexual abuse of minors. The impact of these heinous crimes is evident in our own archdiocese. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding we are currently working our way through is a constant reminder of this sinfulness and the pain it has caused so many. However, the core of our faith remains unshaken as we embrace the love of Christ and His Church.

People continue to have questions about clergy abuse and the bankruptcy proceeding. I’ve tried to answer some of those on the back of this letter. I have also given you a link to our diocesan website where more information is always available. If you have other questions, please always feel free to email me at archbishoplistecki@archmil.org.

Asking God’s blessing upon you and your family, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Revered Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

Here are some questions and answers regarding clergy sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the current Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding. Additional Q&A’s and other information are available online at www.archmil.org.

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy on January 4, 2011; what’s taking so long?

There are a number of complicated questions for the court to decide. Most importantly, the court must determine which claims are eligible for compensation under the bankruptcy laws and in the Chapter 11 proceeding. In addition, to make sure all abuse survivors had the ability to file claims, the timeframe for allowing claims to be filed was longer than one might normally see in a Chapter 11 proceeding, almost a full seven months.

Does our archdiocese have more victims than any other archdiocese?

Even one claim would be too many and is a horrendous crime against everything the Church and the priesthood stand for. For an individual victim/survivor, comparisons don’t change the hurt they suffered and no comparisons can offer a complete picture of this terrible tragedy. However, here’s what we do know. Approximately 575 claims were filed in the archdiocese’s bankruptcy and the vast majority of those claims allege incidents of abuse that date back decades. Only one claim alleges abuse occurring since 2000. Submitted claims allege abuse by diocesan priests, religious order priests, lay people and women religious.

What about mediation; will that speed things up?

Our hope is that a resolution to the case could be reached through mediation where the archdiocese works with the creditors’ committee to reach agreement on both economic and non-economic terms that would allow a Plan of Reorganization to move forward. It is very difficult to predict a timeline. If an agreement cannot be reached in mediation, then the judge will decide which claims will be allowed to be considered for compensation.

Why not simply pay all the claims that have been filed?

Not all claims are eligible for compensation and not all claims are the responsibility of the archdiocese. The archdiocese wants to provide assistance to those abuse survivors who suffered abuse by priests of the archdiocese (diocesan priests), not religious order priests, women religious or lay persons. The court will help us in determining which of those claims are eligible under the law.

Why are you so worried about who receives a settlement?

In justice and stewardship, we remain committed to compensating those abuse survivors who are eligible for compensation in the bankruptcy proceeding. A large financial settlement will greatly reduce the archdiocese’s ability to minister to those who rely upon the Church for services and support.

How much is this costing?

As of August 1, 2012, the costs in the Chapter 11 proceeding have been close to $7.2 million, with the majority of that money used to pay attorneys and consultants for the creditors’ committee and attorneys for the archdiocese.

Who makes up the creditors’ committee?

Every Chapter 11 proceeding has a committee that represents the unsecured creditors. In this case, five abuse survivors make up the creditors’ committee.

Why doesn’t the archdiocese stop the fighting in court and simply settle the cases?

The archdiocese continues to try to determine the best way to reach a resolution. There are legal responsibilities and moral responsibilities involved. As good stewards, we must try to balance the Church’s responsibility for those who have been harmed with those people who rely upon the Church for assistance – today and in the future. In Chapter 11, the court provides the determination of who is eligible for compensation.

Will any of this help abuse survivors heal?

For decades, the archdiocese has provided therapy and counseling for abuse survivors who need and desire that assistance. The Church will continue to provide that assistance regardless of what happens in the Chapter 11 proceeding.

Why has a film been made about such a terrible abuser like Lawrence Murphy?

A documentary has been produced about Lawrence Murphy, a deceased priest of the archdiocese who is on the list of priest offenders posted on the archdiocesan website. Although we haven’t seen the film and don’t know the exact content, we do know that the story of Murphy’s abuse at St. John’s School for the Deaf is a horrible one. The story has been told many times in the media these past 20 years and a full chronology of the events and other information related to Murphy has been posted on the archdiocesan website since 2008. Regardless of the content of the film, each time these terrible events are talked about in public, it is like picking a scab off an old wound. The Archdiocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator and Fr. Christopher Klusman, who works in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry, will provide pastoral and spiritual care for abuse survivors of Murphy and other members of the deaf community.