Metro53 - New York (Web Desk) — The New York Catholic Church and more than 1,300 survivors have reached a mediation-based settlement over horrific sexual abuse allegations, which experts say could become the largest financial scandal in the Church’s U.S. history.
The abuse cases span from 1952 to 2020, involving grave accusations against priests and Church staff for sexually assaulting children.
According to victims’ attorney Jeff Anderson, the New York Archdiocese has approved negotiations for what could be a massive settlement expected within the next two months.
The New York Church has admitted that it is attempting to raise $300 million to compensate survivors. To do so, it has laid off staff, reduced expenses, and put Church properties up for sale.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan said this dark chapter in their history is a source of shame, and he once again offered an apology.
Experts believe the final payout could exceed $880 million, surpassing the amount paid to victims by the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 2024 — a case overseen by the same judge now supervising the New York mediation.
The Church says the matter is further complicated because its insurer, Chubb, is refusing to cover sexual abuse claims under decades-old policies.
According to the victims’ attorney, the Church now has no escape, as the case is becoming one of the largest and most serious sexual abuse scandals involving a religious institution in U.S. history, and the final decision in the coming months could set new records.
