Prof. Soper Discusses Search for Assets in Archdiocese Bankruptcy

Professor Christopher Soper discussed with MPR News what assets might be available to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to pay claims in bankruptcy. "The answer is: It depends," said Soper. He expects close scrutiny of archdiocese accounting and the church's relations with other Catholic organizations. This financial scrutiny "is a pretty common way for creditors of the debtor to try to gin up more assets to spread around. I'm sure all the interested parties will be looking very carefully at the archdiocese finances to see if the various entities are really as separate as they claim." Potential sources of assets include the Archdiocese's land holdings, insurance policies, and various bank accounts.