Archdiocese of New York and clerical abuse victims reach a settlement of more than US$800 million

The Archdiocese of New York and the lawyers for some 1,300 parishioners who claimed to have been victims of sexual abuse by clergy reached an out-of-court settlement of more than $800 million, The New York Times reported this Saturday. In an email sent to the priests of the archdiocese, which the newspaper had access to, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks today confirmed that an agreement had been reached to resolve the claims of those who said they had suffered sexual abuse by members of the clergy and lay leaders of the church. "We are on the verge of being able, God willing, to provide some degree of healing and reconciliation to all the surviving victims," he said in his message, adding that the agreement "will also allow the archdiocese to refocus all its attention on its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children." Hicks indicated in his statement that the settlement would not be final until the plaintiffs, their lawyers, and the representatives of the archdiocese signed it, which was scheduled for early November. Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, Ronald A. Hicks. Photo: archny.org. As the New York outlet reported, the lawyers for the complainants noted that the terms of the agreement stipulate that each person will have the option of receiving a one-time payment of at least $250,000 or a potentially larger compensation, following a review of the extent of the abuse each plaintiff claimed. According to CNN, this would be the second most substantial settlement involving a Catholic archdiocese in the United States, after in 2024 the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay $880 million to 1,000 victims of abuse, in addition to the $740 million it had already paid previously. In June, the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed to an out-of-court settlement of $395 million for some 500 lawsuits filed over clerical abuse, and in December 2025, a federal judge approved an agreement in which the Archdiocese of New Orleans committed to paying at least $230 million to victims of abuse, as CNN reported. The settlement with the Archdiocese of New York would put an end to more than seven years of litigation. In May, the parties agreed on a framework for the settlement that required the signature of all those who had filed a claim. "The unanimous agreement of the survivors who filed lawsuits against the Archdiocese of New York marks a crucial moment in the pursuit of justice," declared Jeff Anderson, who represents more than 1,000 people who filed lawsuits against the Catholic Church in the state of New York. "Thanks to their courage, sacrifice, and determination, the survivors have contributed to accountability being held and to a significant step being taken toward accountability," Anderson told The New York Times. The Archdiocese of New York encompasses the boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, as well as seven counties north of New York City, and is home to around 300 churches, more than 150 parish schools, and 2.5 million Catholics.