Yet another Catholic diocese has filed for bankruptcy protection. How many is it now? Four? This time it’s the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, which has been embroiled in Scandal-related lawsuits. While the 25 outstanding claims are not as many as some dioceses, it’s a lot for this small one.
Ini 2004, the diocese settled 37 claims for $9 million, but the current ones involve Bishop Lawrence Soens, the former bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, who resigned from office in 1998 at only 72 years of age. Before that he was a principal at a Catholic high school in the Davenport diocese and has been accused of abusing as many as 15 students.
Interesting rhetorical legal question: If the diocese is a corporation sole in the person of the bishop, why not sue the Diocese of Sioux City, in the person of Bishop Soens? I suppose because he’s not the current ordinary. And it’s not the most sensible legal tactic and all. Just a thought problem.
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