New York Archdiocese's $800 Million Settlement: 1,300 Abuse Claims Move Toward Resolution

The Archdiocese of New York in the United States has agreed to pay $800 million to settle claims brought by about 1,300 people who say they were sexually abused by clergy members and lay workers.

Jeff Anderson, a lawyer whose firm represents more than 250 of the plaintiffs, said the settlement was finalized, pending signed paperwork, and that all of the plaintiffs had agreed to the settlement.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks said much the same in an email sent to priests of the archdiocese on Saturday afternoon. In the email, he said the deal had not yet been signed but that an agreement had been reached with the plaintiffs and their attorneys.

“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” Hicks wrote. He said the agreement would also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating children.

Anderson said that following the agreement, his clients have expressed mixed feelings — sorrow about the abuse they experienced, as well as relief that the legal fight is over.

“The first is a real sense of relief and achievement,” Anderson said, along with “the belief that having stood up at least they have now a chance to move forward and have done something to protect others in the future and clean up the archdiocese of New York.”

The agreement was first reported by The New York Times. It is one of the largest settlements involving the Catholic Church over sexual abuse claims.

By comparison, in 2024 the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to an $880 million settlement with victims of sexual abuse by its clergy. New York's $800 million agreement is close to that figure.

In December 2025, the Archdiocese of New York had agreed to mediation to settle the 1,300 sexual abuse claims, and said it had laid off staff and planned to sell some of its Manhattan properties in an effort to raise $300 million to pay survivors.

That background shows that raising the settlement money was not easy for the archdiocese. Staff layoffs and planned property sales both point to that financial pressure.

The next step is the signing of the paperwork. According to Anderson the settlement is finalized apart from that formality, and Hicks's email said the same — the agreement has not yet been signed.

Once the signing is complete, this long legal process will formally move toward its end. For the survivors it would mark the close of a long fight, and for the archdiocese a moment to try to return to its religious and charitable work.