Catholic Archdiocese of LA Reaches $880 Million Settlement Over Sexual Abuse Claims

Abuse victim Jorgen Olsen (R) and supporter Glenn Gorospa (L) hold quilts bearing portraits of abused children while gathered outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 1, 2013. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to settle decades-old sexual abuse claims filed by thousands of men and women, officials announced on Wednesday.

In a joint statement, attorneys representing the Plaintiff’s Liaison Committee and Counsel for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said the settlement covers 1,353 individuals who filed lawsuits alleging they were sexually abused as children by priests and clergymen.

The lawsuits were filed under the California Child Victims Act, which extended the civil statute of limitations for filing claims of childhood sexual assault to 40 years of age, or up to five years after discovery.

“While there is no amount of money that can replace what was taken from these 1353 brave individuals who have suffered in silence for decades, there is justice in accountability,” the joint statement said.

“We are grateful to the brave survivors who came forward to hold those responsible accountable and to protect the children of the future,” the statement continued.

The settlement is an “agreement in principle,” and its final implementation is dependent on the “achievement of certain approval levels,” the statement noted.

The Archdiocese and the attorneys in the Plaintiff’s Liaison Committee commenced mediation on the settlement in the fall of 2023, officials said.

Under the terms of the settlement, the plaintiffs will engage in a process—that will not involve the Archdiocese—to allocate the settlement amount among the participants.

The deal will be funded by the Archdiocese’s administrative office using accumulated reserves and investment holdings, bank financing, and other Archdiocesan assets, officials said.

Archdiocese Implements Reforms, Remaining ‘Vigilant’

Additionally, payments by certain religious orders and others named in the litigation will also help fund the settlement.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez welcomed the settlement in a letter to the city’s Catholic residents on Wednesday.

“I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,” Gomez said. “My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered.”

Gomez noted that many of the abuse claims covered in the settlement took place more than 50 years ago, with a number of the cases dating back to the 1940s.

“Some of these acts are alleged to have been committed by Archdiocesan clergy, some by lay people, and some by religious order priests and clergy from other dioceses who were serving here,” he said.

He added that the Archdiocese has been working for many years to confront the “consequences of past abuse by priests, clergy, and others working in the Church” and has provided “pastoral care and financial support” for sexual abuse survivors to “assist in their healing.”

The Archdiocese has also implemented extensive training programs to help protect young people and ensure safe environments across its parishes, schools, and other ministries, he said.

“Today, as a result of these reforms, new cases of sexual misconduct by priests and clergy involving minors are rare in the Archdiocese,” Gomez said. “No one who has been found to have harmed a minor is serving in ministry at this time. And I promise: we will remain vigilant.”

The latest settlement brings the total amount the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has paid to settle various sexual abuse allegations to more than $1.5 billion.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.