Albuquerque, N.M. • New Mexico’s largest Catholic diocese has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent months on lawyers to fight claims of clergy sex abuse and to prepare for a potentially lengthy battle in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s petition for reorganization provides a rare look into the finances of a religious organization that for decades has been wrestling with the financial and social consequences of a scandal that rocked churches across the country.
Archbishop John C. Wester, former bishop of Salt Lake City’s diocese, describes the filing as an equitable thing to do as church reserves dwindle.