Portland, Ore. ? A bankruptcy judge ruled Friday that the Archdiocese of Portland, not its parishes, owns church assets, dealing a major blow to its efforts to protect church property from lawsuits filed by alleged victims of priest sex abuse.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris ruled that church property and real estate is under the control of the archdiocese.

The ruling does not mean that the archdiocese would be forced to sell property to pay settlements or awards to sex abuse victims.