TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson filed for bankruptcy Monday, becoming the second U.S. diocese to seek court protection because of the cost of clerical sex abuse cases.
Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas told parishioners in a letter that filing the voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization offered "the best opportunity for healing and for the just and fair compensation of those who suffered sexual abuse by workers for the church in our diocese."
But a plaintiffs' attorney said the church was going into bankruptcy partly as a public relations move aimed at making victims appear overly aggressive.