The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to settle claims of clergy sexual abuse, marking the largest settlement of its kind with a Catholic archdiocese in the U.S.
The settlement, announced Wednesday, covers more than 1,350 plaintiffs and concludes decades of litigation related to sexual abuse cases involving priests in the nation’s most populous archdiocese.
“I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,” Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement.
“My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered,” he added.
“I believe that we have come to a resolution of these claims that will provide just compensation to the survivor-victims of these past abuses.”
People attend a memorial service outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in Los Angeles, Jan. 19, 2021. The settlement pushes the total payout by the Los Angeles Archdiocese for clergy abuse cases to more than $1.5 billion since 2007.
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes,File
The announcement follows months of negotiations between attorneys representing the victims and the archdiocese.
The agreement addresses allegations dating back decades, brought hundreds of individuals who claim they were sexually abused by priests within the Los Angeles archdiocese.
Attorney Morgan Stewart, who represented the plaintiffs in negotiations, described the settlement as the largest single child sex abuse payout involving a Catholic archdiocese.
“These survivors have suffered for decades in the aftermath of the abuse. Dozens of the survivors have died. They are aging, and many of those with knowledge of the abuse within the church are too.”
“It was time to get this resolved,” Stewart said in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.
Archbishop José H. Gomez on March 3, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. He said he hopes the settlement can provide some “measure of healing” to all male and female survivors of abuse at the hands of the church.
Jay L. Clendenin-Pool/Getty Images
The archdiocese will use investments, accumulated reserves, bank financing, and contributions from certain religious orders to fund the payout.
These funds will be allocated among the victims without further involvement from the church itself.
The settlement brings the total amount paid by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for clergy abuse cases to more than $1.5 billion.
Previously, the archdiocese had paid $740 million in a series of settlements.
“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,” attorneys in the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Committee said in a joint statement.
Pope Francis waves as he arrives in Brussels, Belgium, September 29, 2024. Pope Francis was recently pressed by Belgian leaders, namely King Philippe, to take more concrete steps toward addressing clergy sexual abuse during his last visit.
AP Photo/Omar Havana
The settlement comes amid continued scrutiny of the Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse cases worldwide.
Pope Francis’ recent visit to Belgium, where leaders demanded concrete steps toward accountability for victims of clergy abuse.
During a recent visit to Belgium, the Pope was confronted with sharp criticism from the country’s leadership regarding the Catholic Church’s handling of child sexual abuse cases.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo delivered a pointed rebuke, calling on the Church to take “concrete steps” toward accountability and reparations for victims.
De Croo emphasized that “words alone are not enough,” urging the Church to place the victims at the center of its actions and to ensure transparency about past wrongdoings.
Belgian King Philippe echoed this sentiment, insisting the Church work “relentlessly” to atone for its failures.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
