NEW YORK: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco has agreed to pay $395 million to approximately 530 people who say they were sexually abused as children by members of the clergy, bringing its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case closer to resolution.
Announced on Monday, the agreement represents the largest sexual abuse settlement ever reached through the bankruptcy proceedings of a Catholic diocese in the United States.
The settlement must still receive final approval from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali in San Francisco before it becomes legally binding.
Commitment to Greater Transparency
As part of the agreement, the Archdiocese has committed to publishing the names of priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.
Church officials also pledged to strengthen child protection policies and introduce additional safeguards aimed at preventing future abuse within parishes, schools and other church institutions.
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Archbishop Expresses Support for Survivors
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said the Archdiocese remains committed to supporting survivors and promoting healing.
In a statement, he said the Church prays for survivors of abuse and seeks to eliminate such crimes from both the Church and society.
The Archdiocese serves nearly 450,000 Catholics across California’s San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties.
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Bankruptcy Followed Wave of Abuse Lawsuits
The Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection in 2023, following a surge in lawsuits made possible by changes in state laws that temporarily expanded the time frame for survivors of child sexual abuse to pursue legal claims.
Over the past several years, more than two dozen Catholic dioceses across the United States have sought bankruptcy protection while addressing large numbers of historical abuse allegations.
Largest Settlement of Its Kind
The San Francisco agreement surpasses the $323 million bankruptcy settlement previously reached by the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York, which had been the largest bankruptcy-related settlement involving a Catholic institution.
Although the Archdioceses of Los Angeles and New York have reached larger overall abuse settlements in the past, those agreements were negotiated outside bankruptcy proceedings.
Survivors Welcome the Agreement
Steve Moreno, a member of the court-appointed committee representing abuse survivors during the bankruptcy process, described the settlement as an important milestone after years of legal proceedings.
He said that while no financial compensation can erase the trauma and emotional burden carried by survivors for decades, the agreement represents meaningful recognition of the suffering endured by victims.
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Survivor advocates noted that the settlement also reflects increasing demands for accountability, transparency and institutional reforms within religious organizations confronting historical abuse allegations.
