Archdiocesan Statement on Creditors Committee Counsel and Plaintiff Attorneys Public Statements and Press Releases
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Plaintiff attorneys associated with the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Chapter 11 proceedings once again issued public statements and press releases this week disparaging the Archdiocese’s Child Protection and Safe Environment Program. Plaintiff attorney Jeff Anderson stated that “There is a pervasive pattern of abuse [within the Archdiocese] that is still occurring to this day.”
The data released today by plaintiff attorneys in the Chapter 11 proceedings represent allegations, the overwhelming majority of which are alleged to have occurred many decades ago involving priests who are deceased or no longer in ministry.
Any single case of abuse of a child is too many. This is why the Archdiocese of San Francisco treats every accusation of sexual abuse seriously, and immediate steps are taken to protect the rights of both the alleged abuse survivor and the alleged abuser.
Our focus in the current stage of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process is to work with all parties to accelerate the mediation phase to achieve a fair and equitable negotiated settlement for abuse survivors and provide them with some level of closure. This is what abuse survivors have asked us to do.
Protecting Children: Our Safe Environment Program
Today, to safeguard against abuse, the Archdiocese has maintained and improved awareness and education for children and adults. It uses stringent processes to screen volunteers, employees, and priests. While sexual abuse continues to be a widespread societal problem, occurrences of abuse within the Church today are very rare, and we believe the Church has set the standard for other organizations, showing what can and should be done to protect children.
The record of Archbishop Cordileone and the actions of his predecessors in recent decades show that archdiocesan policies have been effective. Like every other diocese in the country, our Safe Environment Program is audited annually by professional independent auditors for compliance with its policies, and it has an outstanding audit record.
More information on our Safe Environment Program can be found at www.sfarch.org/protecting-children/
Pray for Survivors of Sexual Abuse
As Archbishop Cordileone communicated previously, it is a sign of Christian solidarity to join together on a daily basis in prayer for the survivors of abuse at the hands of Church ministers, that survivors may turn to God as the only source of their healing and peace. We also pray for the eradication of this shameful crime from our society as a whole.
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