US Catholic archdiocese to pay $395mn to child sex abuse victims

The Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco has agreed in principle to pay $395 million to settle more than 500 child sex abuse lawsuits, marking yet another hefty payout by the US Catholic Church over widespread molestation claims in recent years.

The proposed agreement, announced on Monday, is tied to the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case and would resolve all lawsuits brought against it under California Assembly Bill 218, a 2019 law that temporarily revived decades-old civil claims that would otherwise have been barred by the statute of limitations.

As part of the settlement, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone will be required to write an apology letter to each survivor, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs. The archdiocese will also have to implement a series of child-protection and transparency reforms, including maintaining and publishing a list of clergy accused of abuse and banning confidentiality agreements that silence survivors.

Cordileone said in a letter to the faithful that “no financial settlement can erase the painful legacy” of past abuse, but argued that the proposal offers “a path toward fair compensation for survivors who have carried the burden of this abuse for a lifetime.”