The archdiocese sold numerous properties to come up with the final negotiated contribution, including the archbishop’s house in Albuquerque. The archdiocese also took out a mortgage on the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe.
Terence McKiernan, president of the nonprofit BishopAccountability.org, told the Journal that other dioceses in similar bankruptcy actions have had more survivor claimants and paid out less. He described settlement amounts during the mid-1990s as “terribly unfair.”
McKiernan said a key part of the settlement plan is the disclosure of documents, with redactions, by the archdiocese that will help the public understand how the clergy sexual abuse crisis occurred in New Mexico.
The archdiocese has said the document disclosure to a special library archive at the University of New Mexico will be unprecedented.
“It is highly significant that documents are included in such a massive way to be made available to everyone who wants to read them. It’s utterly remarkable,” said McKiernan, “It’s going to change our understanding (of the crisis) in a major way.”
This article originally appeared here.