NEW YORK, New York — Survivors of clergy sexual abuse have agreed to an $800 million settlement with the Archdiocese of New York, lawyers said on Saturday, to resolve claims brought by approximately 1,300 people, Reuters reported from Washington on October 24.

Source: Reuters, via KWSN

The Catholic Archdiocese of New York agreed to the payment in May, in one of the largest payouts in a wave of lawsuits over clergy sex abuse in the United States, Reuters said. It is second only to an $880 million deal reached by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2024.

Jeff Anderson & Associates, which represents 300 abuse survivors, called it 'a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice,' Reuters reported. The New York Times, cited by The Deacon's Bench, reported that plaintiffs' lawyers said late Friday they had finalized the settlement and that all of the plaintiffs had signed off on it.

Source: The New York Times, via The Deacon's Bench

Under the terms reported by the Times, each plaintiff would have the option of receiving a lump-sum payment of at least $250,000 (yaani 2.5 lakh dollars), or a potentially larger payout after a review of the extent of the abuse claimed. The deal will not be final until the plaintiffs, lawyers and archdiocese representatives sign it, scheduled for early November, the Times said.

In an email to clergy confirming the settlement, Archbishop Ronald Hicks wrote, as reported by the Times and AFP: 'We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors.' Hicks was appointed by Pope Leo in December 2025 to replace Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who had earlier begun creating a $300 million fund to compensate victims.

In addition to the $800 million, the archdiocese agreed to release documents pertaining to sexual offenders in the Church, Reuters said. The settlement also allows survivors to litigate against the Church's insurers for additional payouts, but avoids a bankruptcy by the archdiocese. The Catholic Church has paid billions of dollars in settlements across the US in recent years, after New York and other states enacted laws that temporarily enabled victims of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits over decades-old crimes, Reuters reported.