A Roman Catholic diocese in New York has reached a settlement to pay out $150 million to clergy sexual abuse victims, as the total money spent to compensate victims of sexual abuse committed by Catholic Church officials climbs into the billions.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo announced in a statement Tuesday that it reached a settlement with survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy, lay employees and volunteers affiliated with the diocese.
The development comes more than five years after the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York.
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The settlement payment will come from unrestricted funds of the diocese, as well as from unrestricted funds of individual parishes and contributions from members of Catholic affiliates. The settlement is still subject to a creditor vote and court approval but has been approved by a committee composed entirely of sexual abuse survivors.
“This settlement in principle between the Committee and the Diocese represents an essential milestone on this protracted and arduous journey, and importantly, enables us to finally provide a measure of financial restitution to victim-survivors, which has been our primary objective all along,” said Bishop Michael Fisher.
Fisher stressed that “no amount of money can undo” the suffering and emotional trauma the survivors have endured.
In a letter to the diocese announcing the settlement, Fisher said it is his “fervent prayer and hope that we can soon emerge from Chapter 11 and together” and usher in a “new era” that reflects “the promise and joy offered by the Risen Christ.”
“Without question, the work of healing will continue, though it is already being accomplished by our shared determination and sacrifice in this moment of further clarity and progress,” Fisher wrote.
A report compiled by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University and released earlier this year found that from 2004-2023, Catholic churches paid a total of $5 billion to those harmed by acts of sexual abuse committed by clergy.
This figure does not include more recent settlements, such as the $323 million agreement reached between the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York and sexual abuse survivors last year and the $880 million settlement between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and abuse victims. Adding in these large payments pushes the total above $6 billion.
Last year, the Diocese of Fresno in California announced that it was filing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court as it grappled with more than 100 claims of sexual misconduct at the hands of clergy in its territory.
The Diocese of Sacramento embarked on a similar path amid more than 250 allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1950s. In 2019, five months before the Diocese of Buffalo filed for bankruptcy, the nearby Diocese of Rochester filed for bankruptcy in response to dozens of lawsuits filed against it.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
