New York Archdiocese Agrees $800 Million Settlement Over Sex Abuse Claims

The Catholic Archdiocese of New York has agreed to pay $800 million in a settlement with 1,300 survivors of sexual abuse, marking one of the largest payouts in a wave of lawsuits over clergy abuse in the United States.

The settlement is second only to the $880 million agreement reached by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2024. The Catholic Church has paid billions of dollars in settlements across the US in recent years, after New York and other states enacted laws temporarily enabling victims of child sexual abuse to file claims over decades-old offences.

Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, attorneys representing 300 survivors with claims against the archdiocese, described the settlement as a significant outcome that would conclude nearly six years of legal battles with the Church and its insurers. The proposed agreement remains subject to final documentation and the consent of all survivors before it is completed, Anderson said.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks said in a letter to parishioners on Friday that he is “cautiously optimistic” all claimants will support the deal. Hicks, who became archbishop of New York in February, said the Church had reduced spending on staff and operational costs to help fund the settlement.

“This has been a painful process — most significantly for the survivor-victims and their families and loved ones, who have suffered, in most cases, for decades,” Hicks said.

In addition to the $800 million payment, the archdiocese has agreed to release documents relating to sexual offenders within the Church.

“It is far from full accountability, but it is a measure of responsibility,” Anderson said in a statement.

The settlement will also allow survivors to pursue further litigation against the Church’s insurers for additional compensation.

Importantly, the agreement enables the archdiocese to avoid bankruptcy. New York’s Child Victims Act, passed in 2019, along with similar legislation in other states, has led many large Catholic organisations across the U.S. to seek bankruptcy protection while resolving abuse claims.

In New York state, every diocese except those of New York and Brooklyn has filed for bankruptcy to finalise similar settlements.

Finnegan, who also represented survivors in the Los Angeles settlement, said resolving cases outside bankruptcy is preferable for both survivors and dioceses.

“It has been better for both sides to reach a resolution sooner, rather than going through a long and costly bankruptcy process,” he said.

The New York archdiocese and survivors began mediation in December before retired Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Daniel Buckley, who also mediated the Los Angeles settlement. At the time, Cardinal Timothy Dolan acknowledged that the sexual abuse of minors had been a shameful chapter in the Church’s past.

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