The Roman Catholic archbishop of Milwaukee, Jerome E. Listecki, announced Tuesday that the archdiocese had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it would allow the church to continue its ministry while giving fair compensation to the victims of sexual abuse by priests.

But advocates for the victims say the church’s real motivation is to avoid disclosing information about priests accused of abuse and officials who covered it up.

The bankruptcy filing comes just before the deposition of an important church official, Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba, who until his recent retirement served alongside three successive archbishops of Milwaukee. A lawyer for Bishop Sklba was trying to have that deposition sealed.

Other officials expected to be deposed include the former archbishop of Milwaukee Timothy M. Dolan, now archbishop of New York. The bankruptcy filing will almost certainly delay the depositions, although they could eventually proceed.