Los Angeles Archdiocese to pay $880M to clergy sex abuse victims

The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reached a landmark $880 million settlement to resolve over 1,300 claims of childhood sexual abuse. The settlement stems from allegations dating back to the 1940s and is the largest single settlement involving a Catholic archdiocese in the country.

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This agreement was made possible by California Assembly Bill 218, which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on civil claims of childhood abuse, allowing older cases to be revived. The Archdiocese has previously settled similar claims, including a $660 million settlement in 2007 involving around 500 cases.

In a statement, Archbishop José H. Gomez expressed deep remorse, stating, “My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered.” He assured that the funds would be drawn from reserves, investments, and loans, without affecting designated donations to parishes or schools.

“The massive amount of this settlement reflects the amount of grievous harm done to vulnerable children and the decades of neglect, complicity and cover-up by the archdiocese which allowed known serial predators to inflict this harm,” attorney Morgan A. Stewart said in a statement. “I encourage other religious institutions within the Catholic Church to meet their responsibilities and take accountability.”