The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has reached a $150 million settlement to compensate over 800 survivors of clergy sexual abuse. The deal, announced just one day after the death of Pope Francis, follows years of litigation and financial upheaval within the diocese.
Why It Matters
Announced Monday, the settlement came five years after the passage of New York’s Child Victims Act in 2019, which suspended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020. The agreement is intended to resolve the diocese’s bankruptcy case and provide financial restitution to victims of clergy abuse across Western New York.
About 600 of the over 800 claims involved clerics, many of whom had multiple allegations against them, according to local news station WIVB.
What to Know
The settlement is structured with payments tied to the approval of a bankruptcy plan. Part of the funds will be disbursed when the plan becomes effective and the rest will be paid on a tiered schedule, depending on the outcome of negotiations with insurers.
It is “the second-largest contribution by a bankrupt Roman Catholic institution and its affiliates in any Roman Catholic bankruptcy case to date, and the largest contribution by a bankrupt diocese in upstate/western New York,” a press release from the victims’ attorneys said.
The settlement amounts to about $185,000 per survivor, one survivor told WBEN.
According to a press release from the diocese, settlement funds “will be derived from unrestricted funds of the Diocese, and undetermined amounts from individual parishes from their unrestricted funds, and also contributions from members of Catholic affiliates.”
Attorney Steve Boyd, who represents the victims, told Newsweek that the next step in the process is “underway right now,” which is negotiating an agreement with the insurance companies for the diocese. Meetings will take place later this week, and more mediation dates are scheduled for May, Boyd said.
The diocese has a deadline of September 1 to submit its bankruptcy plan, and Boyd said he hopes for a global agreement including the insurance settlement at the same time.
In a statement outside the Robert H. Jackson U.S. Courthouse in Buffalo on Tuesday, Bishop of Buffalo Michael W. Fisher said, “This is a time for us to try and help heal in any way that we can. We can never know the pain that these survivors and victims have been through.”
The agreement also follows a broader restructuring of the Diocese. Declining parishioner numbers and clergy shortages led to the consolidation or closure of 54 parishes in 2024. According to WIVB, appeals by parishioners to the Vatican led to at least 14 churches being spared.
What People Are Saying
Boyd told Newsweek: “There isn’t a monetary amount that could give someone their childhood back, … but it’s the best we could possibly do based upon the assets this diocese has.”
Jeff Anderson, another attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a press release sent to Newsweek: “A more fulsome measure of accountability lies in pursuit of the insurance companies that have wrongfully refused to abide by their obligations.”
Fisher said in a statement sent to Newsweek: “The Committee’s agreement of the Diocese’s offer represents an essential milestone on this protracted and arduous journey, and importantly, enables us to finally provide a measure of financial restitution to victim-survivors, which has been our primary objective all along.
“Their concerns and well-being will continue to be our constant preoccupation. While indeed a steep sum, no amount of money can undo the tremendous harm and suffering they have endured, or eliminate the lingering mental, emotional, and spiritual pain they have been forced to carry throughout their lives.”
What Happens Next
A court hearing on the proposed settlement was scheduled for Tuesday in Buffalo. Additional mediation sessions with insurance companies are set for April 22 and 23. The Diocese of Buffalo remains in bankruptcy pending the full implementation of the settlement.
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