The Archdiocese of New York agreed to pay $800 million to a group of 1,300 victims of sexual abuse accused of clergy in the Catholic Church. The agreement was classified by one of the complainants' lawyers as "a sign of responsibility" for what happened. For his part, Archbishop Ronald Hicks said he is "cautiously optimistic" that a consensus will be reached with all the plaintiffs.

First modification: 05/02/2026 - 04:32

The Catholic Archdiocese of New York has agreed to pay $800 million in an out-of-court settlement with 1,300 survivors of sexual abuse, one of the largest awards in the wave of lawsuits for sexual abuse committed by clergy in the United States.

This agreement is only surpassed by the $880 million agreement reached by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2024.

The Catholic Church has paid billions of dollars in settlements across the United States in recent years, after New York and other states enacted laws temporarily allowing victims of child sexual abuse to sue for crimes committed decades ago.

Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, attorneys representing 300 abuse survivors with claims against the Archdiocese, said the settlement was a victory that would end nearly six years of legal battles with the Church and its insurers.

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The proposed settlement is subject to final documentation and full consent from survivors before it is completed, Anderson said.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks said in a May 1 letter to parishioners that he is "cautiously optimistic" that all sexual abuse plaintiffs will support the settlement.

Hicks, who took over as archbishop of New York in February, said the Church had cut spending on staff and operating expenses to finance the deal.

"It has been a painful process, especially for the victims and their families and loved ones, who have suffered, in most cases, for decades," Hicks said.

In addition to the $800 million payment, the Archdiocese agreed to make public documents relating to sexual offenders within the Church.

"It is far from a complete accounting, but it is a sign of responsibility," Anderson said in a statement issued Friday.

The settlement will allow abuse survivors to sue the Church's insurers for additional compensation.

A different process to avoid revictimization

The text also prevents the bankruptcy of the Archdiocese. New York's Child Victims Act, passed in 2019, and similar laws in other states have led many large Catholic organizations to file for bankruptcy protection across the United States.

In New York state, all dioceses except the Archdiocese of New York and the diocese of Brooklyn have filed for bankruptcy to settle similar sexual abuse lawsuits.

Finnegan, who also represented survivors in the Los Angeles lawsuit, said reaching a settlement outside of the bankruptcy process is better for both survivors and Catholic dioceses.

"It has been better for both parties to reach a resolution sooner, rather than go through a long and expensive bankruptcy process," Finnegan stated.

The Archdiocese of New York and abuse survivors began mediation in December before retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daniel Buckley, who also served as mediator in the Los Angeles settlement.

In a statement at the time, Cardinal Timothy Dolan acknowledged that the sexual abuse of minors had been a shameful chapter in the Church's past.

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