The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, which oversees church operations across parts of upstate New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying it has been overwhelmed by hundreds of clergy abuse lawsuits.
The diocese entered bankruptcy protection on Wednesday after being named in more than 400 child sex abuse lawsuits since 2019. The Catholic district has depleted funds it had set aside to resolve victims’ suits after paying out a number of “large settlements,” Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, the diocese’s leader, said in an announcement Wednesday.
The bankruptcy allows the diocese to reorganize under a plan “that will determine the ...