The Archbishop of Los Angeles, José H. Gomez, presides over a funeral at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Los Angeles, on October 5, 2023. The religious lamented the clerical abuse reported for decades in that city. (FILE: AP)

One of the lawyers for the 1,353 victims in litigation said that this is the largest compensation for cases of sexual abuse of minors by a Catholic archdiocese. The archbishop of Los Angeles regretted the incidents and said he hoped for “some healing” from the agreement.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades, in what one lawyer described as the largest single child sexual abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese.

“I regret each of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,” Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement after the agreement in principle was announced Wednesday.

“My hope is that this agreement offers some healing for what these men and women suffered,” the archbishop added. “I believe we have reached a resolution to these allegations that will provide fair compensation to the survivors-victims of these past abuses.”

Lawyers for 1,353 people who alleged they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of local Catholic priests reached the settlement after months of negotiations with the archdiocese, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A quarter century of litigation

The pact ends a quarter-century of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the United States.

“While no amount of money can replace what was taken from these 1,353 brave people who have suffered in silence for decades, there is justice in accountability,” Plaintiffs' Liaison Committee attorneys said in a joint statement.

Under the agreed terms, the plaintiffs will enter into a process in which the archdiocese will not participate to distribute the money among them.

The archdiocese had previously paid $740 million to victims in various lawsuits and promised to better protect the members of its congregations, so this pact would raise the total compensation to more than $1.5 billion, according to the Los Angeles newspaper.

Lawyer Morgan Stewart, who led the negotiations, said in a statement that this is the largest compensation from a Catholic archdiocese for sexual abuse of minors.

“These survivors have suffered for decades from the consequences of the abuse. Dozens of survivors have died. They are getting older, and so are many of those who have knowledge of the abuse within the Church. It was time to resolve this,” Stewart told Los Los Angeles Times.

The compensation will be financed with investments from the archdiocese, accumulated reserves, bank financing and other assets. According to the archdiocese, some religious orders and others named in legal proceedings will also cover part of the amount, the Los Angeles newspaper indicated.