In a phone interview, Lorenz also put the testimony and bankruptcy proceedings in perspective.

Neither being compensated or testifying about abuse “gives you back what you lost,” he said. “There isn’t a person up there who wouldn’t trade both of those things, the check and the chance to address Lori, for having their life back.”

In their filing last Friday, attorneys for the survivor’s committee portrayed the prospect of victims testifying as an opportunity to humanize the money-oriented proceedings of the bankruptcy.

“The Committee,” its attorneys wrote, “believes that accommodating the direct involvement of Survivor claimants in these proceedings will properly balance the case narrative and deepen the collective understanding of the histories and perspective of a critical constituency in the case. … providing Survivors with a meaningful voice in these proceedings will serve to build trust in the process and, ultimately, enhance prospects for a timely and fair global settlement that includes expanded protocols to support the protection of children within the Archdiocese going forward.”

The archdiocese declared bankruptcy Sept. 29, two days before Maryland’s landmark Child Victims Act took effect. That law eliminated a previous time limit for people who were sexually abused as children to sue the perpetrators and the institutions that enabled their torment. Anticipating a flood of lawsuits, the diocese made the strategic decision to file for bankruptcy to protect its assets and limit its liability.

Bankruptcy meant lawsuits against the church that would have been filed publicly in state court, and possibly ended up in front of a jury, would need to be submitted as claims in bankruptcy court, where they may or may not be public. After survivors file claims, they are vetted and sent to an expert to evaluate and assign a dollar amount based on the extent of the abuse described.

Survivors have until May 31 to file their “proof of claim” forms in bankruptcy court.

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