The Archdiocese of New York agreed on Saturday to pay more than $800m to settle the legal claims of about 1,300 survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks announced that the settlement will be formally signed on November 6 following an agreement with the plaintiffs and their legal representatives.
"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 in an email sent to his priests and shared by the archdiocese news outlet. "This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children," he added.
Each of the approximately 1,300 survivors will receive at least $250,000 from the archdiocese, with potential for higher amounts depending on the severity of the abuse suffered, according to reporting by The New York Times.
The settlement is the second-largest of its kind in the United States. The largest was an $880m deal reached by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2024.
Jeff Anderson, a lawyer representing individuals who filed more than 1,000 claims against the Catholic Church in New York state, issued a statement regarding the resolution.
"The unanimous agreement of survivors who filed claims against the Archdiocese of New York marks a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice," Anderson said. "Through their courage, sacrifice, and determination, survivors have helped bring about a reckoning and a meaningful step toward accountability."
The agreement concludes years of negotiations with lawyers representing the plaintiffs. The Catholic Church in the United States has faced widespread sexual abuse scandals since the early 2000s.
During the 2000s, media investigations revealed that Catholic priests across the United States committed sexual abuse against thousands of children over several decades. Reports showed that church leaders frequently covered up these cases or transferred offending priests rather than reporting them to civil authorities.
Dioceses throughout the country have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in damages since then. Compensation programmes have also been established to settle claims without proceeding to trial.
In June, the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced a separate agreement to pay $395m to about 530 survivors of sexual abuse committed by its clergy.
