The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to 1,353 people who say they were sexually abused as children by clergy dating back decades. This settlement is the largest involving a U.S. diocese and was reached without the Archdiocese filing for bankruptcy. The settlement comes after California enacted a law allowing new lawsuits to be based on past instances of sexual abuse involving minors, prompting many large Catholic organizations to seek bankruptcy protection to resolve similar abuse claims.
Archbishop Jose H. Gomez expressed sorrow for the abuse and apologized for the incidents. He hopes that the settlement will provide some healing for the victims who have suffered. The Archdiocese will be able to pay the victims from cash reserves, investments, loans, and contributions from other religious organizations named in lawsuits, without impacting their mission of serving the poor and vulnerable in their communities.
Attorneys for the Archdiocese and the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel representing the abuse claimants issued a joint statement thanking the survivors for coming forward and ensuring that similar abuse will not occur in the future. While no amount of money can replace what was taken from the victims, there is justice in accountability. The settlement marks a step towards healing for the victims and a way to address the decades of suffering endured by those who came forward.
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