NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Archdiocese of New Orleans has agreed to pay nearly $180 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement announced Wednesday, the latest in a string of settlements by the Catholic Church.
The archdiocese, its parishes and several insurers will pay $179.2 million into a trust to benefit survivors, according to a statement by the committee that negotiated the agreement.
The money will be distributed after the church emerges from bankruptcy, it said.
The deal also includes what the statement called “unprecedented” provisions and procedures to safeguard against future abuse and provide services to survivors, including a survivors’ bill of rights and changes to the Archdiocese’s process for handling abuse claims.
“I am grateful to God for all who have worked to reach this agreement and that we may look to the future towards a path to healing for survivors and for our local church,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond said in a statement.
The settlement still requires approval by the bankruptcy court, abuse survivors and other Archdiocese creditors.
