New York Archdiocese Reaches $800 Million Abuse Settlement

The Archdiocese of New York and attorneys for about 1,300 people who say they were sexually abused by clergy have agreed to an $800 million settlement, Archbishop Ronald Hicks told clergy in an email. The agreement is not final until all parties sign it, a step scheduled for the week of November 6, 2026. The proposed settlement would resolve more than seven years of litigation. Attorneys for claimants said all plaintiffs had agreed to the terms, which followed a framework reached in May that required every claimant to approve the deal. The agreement would be the second-largest settlement involving a U.S. Catholic archdiocese, after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed in 2024 to pay $880 million. Under the reported terms, each claimant could choose a payment of at least $250,000 or seek a potentially larger award after an individual review. The proposed agreement also calls for the archdiocese to publish and update a list of credibly accused clergy and to release additional internal documents related to abuse allegations. These provisions are reported terms of an unsigned agreement and remain subject to its completion. Hicks said in his message that the settlement would not...