Prof. Soper Comments on Ongoing Local Archdiocese Bankruptcy

Professor Christopher Soper commented in the Star Tribune about the ongoing bankruptcy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Archdiocese sought more time to propose a bankruptcy plan of reorganization. "The downside [of giving the Archdiocese more time] is it slows down the process and means more uncertainly for the creditors," said Soper. "The whole point of this process is to figure out how much the church is going to pay to these 400 people. Until a plan is negotiated and approved, they don’t know how much they will be paid, or if they will be paid." The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January, following an unprecedented avalanche of clergy abuse claims. The claims were sparked by the Minnesota Child Victims Act of 2013, which opened a three-year window for civil courts to hear older claims of clergy abuse. The law sunsets May of 2016—the same month as the new extension request.