California Franciscan Friars File Bankruptcy Amid Abuse Suits (1)

The Franciscan Friars of California Inc. filed for bankruptcy to address an influx of child sex abuse claims, joining a growing roster of Catholic entities that sought similar protections in 2023.

The Oakland-based Catholic order, filed for Chapter 11 on Dec. 31 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California. Its bankruptcy comes as Catholic dioceses across the country face a years-long reckoning with a deluge of child sexual abuse lawsuits.

More than 90 child sexual abuse suits were filed against the friars after the statute of limitations in California reopened, the group said in a press ...