New York Archdiocese agrees to $800 million settlement over abuse litigation

Vatican News

An agreement to resolve more than seven years of litigation over clerical sexual abuse would see the Archdiocese of New York pay $800 million to settle claims brought by approximately 1,300 parishioners.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks, Archbishop of New York, confirmed the agreement in an email to clergy on Saturday, October 24.

He noted that it would become final only after the parties signed it, with signing scheduled for the week of November 6.

The settlement follows a framework agreed in May that required the consent of everyone who had filed a claim.

“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” Archbishop Hicks wrote.

He also said the agreement would allow the Archdiocese to devote its full attention once again to its mission: proclaiming the Gospel, caring for the sick and those in need, welcoming strangers, and educating children.

New York passed a law in 2019 that extended the deadline for survivors of child sexual abuse to bring civil lawsuits until age 55. It also provided a temporary opportunity for older survivors to file claims.

The proposed settlement is the second-largest involving a Catholic diocese in the United States, after the $880 million agreement reached by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2024.