July 15, 2007

  • In other Catholic news...

    $660-million settlement
    in priest abuses

    "The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed Saturday to a $660-million
    settlement with 508 people who have accused priests of sexual abuse, by
    far the biggest payout in the child molestation scandal that has rocked
    the Roman Catholic Church nationwide....

    The agreement will end all of the pending abuse litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the U.S....

    Although the settlement will effectively end a chapter in the sad saga
    of clerical abuse that has spanned decades, the resolution will come at
    a huge cost to the church. More than $114 million has been promised in
    previous settlements, bringing the total liability for clergy
    misconduct in the Los Angeles Archdiocese to more than $774 million.
    The figure dwarfs the next largest settlements in the U.S., including
    those reached in Boston, at $157 million, and in Portland, Ore., at
    $129 million."

    -- Los Angeles Times, July 15, 2007