Baltimore Archbishop William Lori did not testify at a hearing Thursday over the church's bankruptcy case, despite efforts to subpoena him, which angered some victims of sexual abuse who want a settlement and closure with the church.
The Baltimore Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy after Maryland's Attorney General in 2023 found that more than 600 children were abused under the church's supervision.
The bankruptcy filing came just before the Maryland Child Victims Act went into effect, allowing survivors to independently sue the church.
However, Bishop Adam Parker, another top church official, took the stand and faced tough questions about the archdiocese's finances.
Parker spoke with WJZ Investigates about the need for a settlement and defended Archbishop Lori, saying he cares deeply about victim-survivors.
Baltimore's Archbishop William Lori did not testify at a hearing Thursday over the church's bankruptcy case, despite efforts to subpoena him.
"Elephant not in the courtroom"
WJZ has extensively covered the case of Teresa Lancaster, who was abused by the notorious Father Joseph Maskell in Baltimore.
Maskell's case gained nationwide attention in the Netflix documentary The Keepers.
"It's been a long, hard road," Teresa Lancaster, an abuse survivor, told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "I feel like we're waiting for a miracle— a miracle that may not happen for a long time."
WJZ has extensively covered the case of Teresa Lancaster, who was abused by the notorious Father Joseph Maskell in Baltimore.
Several told Hellgren they wanted to see Archbishop William Lori take questions about the church's finances in court, but his lawyers were successfully able to quash a subpoena.
They argued, "Archbishop Lori could not cancel certain commitments he had on his calendar…"
"He was the one who said when this whole bankruptcy started that he was in favor of a quick solution to provide justice to everybody, and yet given the opportunity to come here to answer some questions that might push that solution forward, he chose not to," survivor Frank Schindler told WJZ Investigates. "He chose to find a way to get out of being here. It shows to me that he doesn't really care about finding a solution for survivors. He wants to continue to delay the process."
Top church official testifies
Instead, Bishop Adam Parker took the stand.
Parker, who described himself as Lori's principal adviser and essentially the chief operating officer of the archdiocese, testified at length about the church's consolidation and finances.
Lawyers for the victims pressed Parker on Lori's "Seek the City" plan, which cut the number of parishes in half, and the church's argument those parishes operate separately.
Victims argue both are one entity.
The distinction is important as the victims are trying to get an accurate picture of archdiocese finances, especially where money goes when properties are sold.
The archdiocese typically takes a 5% cut of proceeds along with any debts a parish owes the archdiocese, which Parker said could amount to more than $5 million.
"They're trying every trick in the book to say they're separate entities and it's obvious that they're not," Lancaster said. "It's just insane."
Defending the church
Last November, Lori told WJZ Investigates he wants to settle with victims.
"From the very beginning, we have said that we will put the resources of the church toward a settlement," the archbishop said, and he apologized for the church's role in past abuses.
Lancaster is not convinced.
"We're frozen in time. We're frozen because of Archbishop Lori who didn't even bother to show up today," she told Hellgren.
"I would say that Archbishop Lori cares deeply for victim-survivors and most especially for their healing. He understands people have been wounded. They've been harmed, and they've been harmed by people who were in positions of trust and people who those victim-survivors themselves trusted," Parker said. "And Archbishop Lori cares very deeply about their well being, about their welfare, and about the faithful in general because this has really impacted so many people over so many decades."
Parker told Hellgren the church wants to "resolve this matter quickly - primarily because we know that victim-survivors have been waiting for a long time for this resolution."
He said, "Our goal through this process has been to compensate victim-survivors, those who have been harmed, and others who have been impacted. The recovery is long and it's complicated, and we're very sensitive to the fact that healing is an important journey. We want to assist in that process. Our other goal is to continue our ministries in our parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and we feel very strong about our commitment to that goal as well."
What's next?
Judge Harner plans to hold a virtual hearing next Monday afternoon.
She wants to figure out scheduling, with more extensive testimony possibly in mid-May or early June.
On Thursday, several lawyers involved in the case lauded a promising step: the victims previously reached a $100 million agreement with The Hartford, one of the insurers for the church.
But a final settlement in the case is likely months away at the earliest.
"We want to see all the assets. We want the court to be in charge of any selling a property so it's not hidden," Lancaster said.