Vermont’s Catholic church has filed for bankruptcy protection as it faces more than 30 lawsuits alleging child sex abuse by clergy decades ago.

The state’s largest religious denomination is seeking an emergency order for permission to keep paying staff as a court is set to hold its first hearing on a church plan to reorganize finances depleted by child abuse claims.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington has filed for bankruptcy protection as it faces more than 30 lawsuits alleging child sex abuse by clergy decades ago, according to a filing in federal bankruptcy court.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, battered by expensive sexual abuse lawsuits, says reorganizing its finances is in everyone's best interest.