by Tablet Staff  

The $800 million settlement to resolve some 1,300 abuse claims brought against the Archdiocese of New York under the state’s lookback law, the Child Victims Act, has been signed by both the archdiocese and plaintiffs’ lawyers as of Nov. 5, making it official, Archbishop Ronald Hicks announced.  

Under the settlement, Archbishop Hicks said the archdiocese and “other participating entities” will provide a total pool of $804.25 million for victim survivors, with an initial payment of approximately $619 million and a second payment due next year for the remaining balance.  

“My sincere and prayerful thanks to the victim-survivors who have worked with us to achieve this global settlement,” Archbishop Hicks said in his Nov. 5 statement. “We continue to promise both our prayers for those who continue to suffer from the trauma they experienced, and recommit ourselves to ensuring that these horrific misdeeds are never again committed in our Church.  

“Be assured of my and the archdiocese’s continued commitment to protecting children from abuse, our vigilance in preventing future abuse, and our compassionate accompaniment of those who are suffering,” he added. “Together, let us pray for God’s continued healing, light, and peace.”  

News of the settlement first surfaced in May when Attorney Jeff Anderson of Anderson & Associates, which represents many of the survivors, announced that an agreement had been reached. Last month, the archdiocese confirmed that a settlement was close. 

“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” while allowing the archdiocese “to turn its full attention once again to its mission” of evangelization and works of mercy, Archbishop Hicks said in an Oct. 24 email to archdiocesan priests. 

Anderson said in an Oct. 25 statement that a neutral allocator will evaluate individual claims to “uniquely determine the value of each claim based on the nature of the abuse and the harm done.” However, he said the settlement terms include a flat “quick-pay option” of $250,000 that some survivors can choose, thereby removing themselves from the individualized allocation process. 

In addition, Anderson said, the settlement terms require the archdiocese to publish the names of credibly accused priests — a practice that has become standard in a number of U.S. dioceses — and to publicly disclose files of offending priests in a database. 

Archbishop Hicks, in his Nov. 5 statement, said the sale of the former archdiocesan chancery and the ground lease under the Palace Hotel, along with staff cutbacks and downsizing, have “raised a significant percentage” of the funds owed.  

As for the rest, Archbishop Hicks said he appreciates the voluntary contributions parishes have made to the settlement fund, many of which have come from parish reserve funds. He also noted that other institutions are “stepping up to the plate, recognizing their responsibility to do their part in supporting the Church’s efforts to bring healing, closure, and reconciliation to victim-survivors.”   

Archbishop Hicks assured the faithful that parish life would remain unaffected.  

“It is possible that your parish may be one that has sold unused property to contribute to the fund or has shared money from reserves to help us reach our goal of helping victim-survivors,” he said. “Beyond that, however, life in your parish should continue uninterrupted, celebrating Mass and the sacraments, providing outreach to the poor and disadvantaged, consoling the bereaved, welcoming catechumens into the faith, and all the other activities that make up the life of a vibrant community of faith.”  

The settlement agreement closes a five-year legal battle, which began under Cardinal Timothy Dolan, now archbishop emeritus of New York, whom Archbishop Hicks thanked in his statement. Cardinal Dolan not only began the process toward a global settlement, but in 2016, three years before the Child Victims Act was enacted, he established an Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, or IRCP, that provided millions in compensation to victim-survivors.  

OSV News has previously found that U.S. dioceses had paid more than $5 billion to settle abuse claims from 2004 to 2024. With the Archdiocese of New York settlement, that figure is now closer to — and possibly in excess of — $6 billion. 

OSV News contributed to this report.