The nation's
largest Roman Catholic archdiocese will sell its
administrative headquarters to raise money to settle
hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits against it, Cardinal
Roger Mahony said Tuesday.
In a statement
posted on the archdiocese of Los Angeles's Web site,
Mahony also said a special working group has identified
about 50 nonessential church properties that could be
sold. Those properties are not being used by any
parishes, and no schools, parishes, or ministries
would be shut down, he said.
The cardinal did
not specify how much the archdiocese expected to raise
by selling the properties. He also did not give a timetable
for settlement but said he hoped the cases could be
resolved in the ''near future.'' Archdiocese spokesman
Tod Tamberg declined to comment beyond Mahony's
statement.
The archdiocese,
which estimates it has 4.3 million Catholics, faces more
than 500 claims that have been in litigation for more than
four years. Some plaintiffs' attorneys and church
observers have estimated it could cost the church up
to $1 billion to settle all the claims against it.
John Manly, a
plaintiff's attorney, said he saw no indication that the
archdiocese was coming close to a settlement. He said the
first cases are set to go to trial next month and he
expected they would still do so. (AP)
