The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco announced Monday that it has reached a $395 million settlement with approximately 530 individuals who say they were sexually abused as children by priests. The agreement, if finalized, would bring the archdiocese’s bankruptcy case to a close.
The deal stands as the largest settlement of its kind ever reached through bankruptcy proceedings by a Catholic diocese in the country. However, it still requires approval from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali in San Francisco before it can take effect.
The archdiocese serves close to 450,000 Catholics across San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties in California. As part of the settlement terms, church leaders also agreed to publicly release the names of priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, along with implementing new measures designed to prevent future misconduct.
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone released a statement addressing the agreement. “We remain committed to the healing and care of survivors who have suffered because of past sins of Church ministers,” he said. “We pray for all survivors of sexual abuse, for our Archdiocese, parish communities and schools, and for the eradication of this shameful crime from our midst and from society as a whole.”
The archdiocese sought bankruptcy protection in 2023. It is among more than two dozen Catholic dioceses across the country that have taken similar steps in recent years, following the passage of laws in California, New York, and other states that temporarily allowed victims of childhood sexual abuse to pursue legal action over crimes that occurred decades ago.
The $395 million figure eclipses the previous record held by the diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York, which had settled for $323 million through bankruptcy. Notably, the archdioceses of Los Angeles and New York reached even larger sex abuse settlements in recent years, though neither filed for bankruptcy to do so.
Steve Moreno, who served on a court-appointed committee representing abuse survivors during the bankruptcy process, called the settlement a meaningful step forward following years of legal battles. “No amount of money can erase the pain and shame associated with carrying the burden of my child abuse in silence for over 50 years,” Moreno said in a statement.
