The Survivor Committee is aware that objections to some Survivors’ proofs of claim have been filed by the Archdiocese. The Committee’s legal counsel, Stinson LLP, is diligently monitoring this development and communicating with the Committee and State Court Counsel as it assesses all objections and the impact the Archdiocese’s decision will have on an overall resolution of the bankruptcy case. The Committee has also asked the Court to extend deadlines relating to all claim objections and a hearing on that issue will take place on December 1, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Please note that most Survivor claims have NOT been objected to. 

What is a claim objection? A claim objection allows the Archdiocese to challenge the validity of a claim for various reasons, including that it is a duplicate, does not provide enough information to support a payment, or has some other legal reason to be disallowed. If your claim has been objected to, it is very important that you or your lawyer files a timely response. 

If you have legal representation and have any concerns you should discuss them with your attorney. If you do not have an attorney, you will receive a copy in the mail of any objection to your claim and you need to read it very carefully. This website will be updated as developments warrant.

On November 5, 2025, 10 Survivors presented their impact statements at a hearing before the Bankruptcy Court. Archbishop William Lori and other Archdiocesan representatives were also present to hear the statements. The Committee is grateful to the brave Survivors who shared the truth about their abuse and its effect on their lives. At this time, no additional hearings for the presentation of impact statements have been scheduled or approved, but additional hearings may be allowed by the Court if additional Survivors express an interest in presenting a statement.

During our town hall meeting with Survivors, and throughout this bankruptcy, the Committee has heard a number of concerns about why this bankruptcy case is taking so long to reach a settlement. The Committee shares these concerns. One major obstacle has been the Archdiocese’s claim that it has legal immunity (what is called “charitable immunity” in Maryland). “Immunity” would mean that the Church is not required to pay Survivors any money, and so any settlement would be a gift or an amount paid by the Archdiocese on its own terms. This position is unacceptable to the Committee for many reasons.

To address the Archdiocese’s unacceptable position, the Committee filed a lawsuit asking the Bankruptcy Court to overrule the Archdiocese’s immunity defense. Recently, the Committee laid out its legal case in a motion for summary judgment. If the Committee succeeds, we are hopeful this case will move towards a prompt resolution, and Survivors will be able to negotiate with the Archdiocese in a less one-sided way.

If the Bankruptcy Court disagrees with the Committee’s position on immunity, then the Committee has asked that the Court dismiss the bankruptcy case. The Committee, comprised of seven Survivors, did not make this decision lightly. Instead, in a world where the Archdiocese is immune from Survivors’ claims, the Committee considered that the bankruptcy process likely causes more delay and harm to Survivors and cannot provide them with a fair outcome.

To be clear, the Committee has not given up hope that this bankruptcy process can be resolved and reach a fair settlement for Survivors. Instead, the Committee has requested that the bankruptcy be dismissed only if the Archdiocese is found to be immune from paying Survivors any monetary damages. In that limited case, the Committee believes bankruptcy is the wrong place to reach a resolution.