The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay a significant settlement of $880 million to 1,353 individuals who alleged they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests. This marks the largest settlement of its kind by a U.S. diocese in response to decades-old abuse claims.
Archbishop José H. Gómez expressed deep sorrow for the abuse victims, stating, “I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart.” He expressed hope that the settlement would provide some measure of healing for those who suffered.
The archdiocese began mediating the abuse claims following the enactment of a California law that allowed new lawsuits to be filed based on past instances of sexual abuse involving minors. This law, along with similar legislation in other states, has led many large Catholic organizations to seek bankruptcy protection. In California, the archdioceses of San Francisco and San Diego, as well as the Diocese of Oakland, have filed for bankruptcy to address similar abuse claims.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, however, reached its settlement without resorting to bankruptcy. Archbishop Gómez explained that the archdiocese would be able to pay victims from its existing cash reserves, investments, loans, and contributions from other religious organizations that had been named in lawsuits. He emphasized that the payments would not compromise the archdiocese’s mission of serving the poor and vulnerable in its communities.
Attorneys representing both the archdiocese and the plaintiffs issued a joint statement on Wednesday, thanking the survivors for coming forward with their stories and ensuring that similar abuse would not occur in the future. The plaintiffs’ liaison counsel stated, “While there is no amount of money that can replace what was taken from these 1,353 brave individuals who have suffered in silence for decades, there is justice in accountability.