Church property ownership argued in bankruptcy court

Published: 2005-12-13

PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) -- A federal bankruptcy court in Portland heard arguments Dec. 6 over who owns Catholic parishes in western Oregon. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris is expected to rule in the coming weeks on the question. Her decision is crucial to the Portland Archdiocese's bankruptcy case and could impact the way Catholic dioceses handle parish property rules elsewhere in the nation. If the court decides that the region's 124 parishes and more than 40 Catholic schools are owned by the archdiocese, the funds available to be meted out in abuse settlements could increase from tens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions.

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