In a move that could lead to one of the largest settlements in U.S. Catholic Church history, the Archdiocese of New York and more than 1,300 individuals who say they were sexually abused by clergy or church personnel have agreed to enter mediation.
The announcement, made Monday by both church officials and plaintiffs’ attorneys, marks a pivotal step in decades of legal and moral reckoning over widespread abuse and institutional protection of accused offenders.
The mediation process will unfold over the next two months, ahead of civil litigation scheduled for trial next year.
Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents roughly 300 of the 1,311 claimants, said negotiations must include not only financial compensation but also full disclosure of past wrongdoing and enforceable measures to prevent future abuse.
The claims span nearly seven decades, from 1952 to 2020, reflecting the breadth of the crisis and the longstanding failures within church leadership.
Church officials acknowledged those failures directly. In announcing the mediation, the Archdiocese admitted that “darkness” had marred its past and expressed hope for a comprehensive resolution that would deliver “the most financial compensation possible” to survivors.
In an open letter, Cardinal Timothy Dolan again apologized for the “shame” brought upon the Church, asking forgiveness for leaders who “failed to provide for the safety of our young people.”
To meet the anticipated financial demands, the Archdiocese has reportedly taken significant steps to free up resources, including staff reductions, cost-cutting measures, and the sale of real estate holdings.
These efforts aim to raise approximately $300 million—an amount that, if finalized, would rank among the largest settlements ever reached by a U.S. archdiocese.
However, Anderson suggested the final number could rise substantially, potentially surpassing the $880 million paid by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2024 to a similar number of accusers.
That case was mediated by retired Judge Daniel Buckley, who will also oversee the New York proceedings.
“The time for reckoning is now, and it’s long past due,” Anderson said, emphasizing that survivors have waited decades for accountability.
Yet the path to a global settlement remains complicated by a contentious standoff with the Archdiocese’s longtime insurer, Chubb Insurance Companies.
Church leaders say Chubb has refused to honor sexual misconduct claims for policies purchased before 2000, hindering compensation efforts.
Chubb, however, has asserted that the Archdiocese’s alleged history of tolerating and concealing abuse voids such coverage.
In a sharply worded statement, the insurer argued that the Church withheld critical information about “what they knew and when,” adding that policies were never intended to indemnify organizations that “knowingly allow a pattern of abuse to persist.”
As mediation begins, survivors and advocates say they hope the process yields not only financial redress but also institutional change and long-awaited transparency.
The coming months will determine whether the Archdiocese of New York can achieve both, while confronting the full scope of harm inflicted over generations.
Source: Reuters