Cardinal Roger Mahony, under who’s watch much of the abuse cover-up occurred, remains a Cardinal in good standing to this day.
In what could be the closing chapter in a landmark legal battle, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades in the largest settlement involving the Catholic Church.
Attorneys for 1,353 people who allege that they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of local Catholic priests reached the settlement after months of negotiations with the archdiocese. The agreement caps a quarter-century of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the United States.
The settlement leaves only a few lawsuits pending against the church in Los Angeles, attorneys for the victims say.
The archdiocese had previously paid $740 million to victims in various settlements and had pledged to better protect its church members, so this settlement would put the total payout at more than $1.5 billion.
“These survivors have suffered for decades in the aftermath of the abuse. Dozens of the survivors have died. They are aging, and many of those with knowledge of the abuse within the church are too. It was time to get this resolved,” said attorney Morgan Stewart, who led the settlement negotiations.
Attorney Mike Reck of Jeff Anderson & Associates said, “This is a measure of justice. There can never be full justice. These brave survivors brought it to protect kids in the future.”
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TAKE ACTION: Contact Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the Unites States, and ask him to launch an official investigation of Cardinal Mahony’s role in this disgraceful behavior. Cardinal Pierre can be reached at 202-333-7121 or at nuntiususa@nuntiususa.org.