From Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda; Judge Tim O’Malley, Director of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment; and Tom Abood, Chair of the Archdiocesan Financial Council and the Reorganization Task Force
Today, Jeff Anderson called for a Grand Jury Investigation of all dioceses in Minnesota. In early 2015, he called for an investigation of this Archdiocese. We cooperated with that investigation and would cooperate with any further investigation.
We were disappointed that Mr. Anderson criticized the bankruptcy process as a means of concealing the truth. There has been disclosure by the Archdiocese at every stage of the bankruptcy process. In the past, Mr. Anderson claimed the Archdiocese was concealing assets. These claims were repeatedly rejected by the judge as false. For us, bankruptcy was the only fair way to distribute assets to all who have claims, and we are pleased that we could file a joint plan with Mr. Anderson, on behalf of his clients, to provide $210 million for an equitable distribution.
For years now, the Archdiocese has worked cooperatively with Jeff Anderson’s office to continue disclosing the names of priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor, as they come to our attention. That process remains ongoing.
