Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York recently agreed to negotiate a sexual abuse settlement.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York recently agreed to negotiate a sexual abuse settlement that will compensate over 1,300 people who experienced violence as children. The survivors say that they were abused by priests and lay staff members over the course of decades, and seek over $300 million in compensation for injuries and suffering.
In his December 2025 letter, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan states that the second-largest diocese in the United States hopes to “strengthen and enhance procedures that ensure our children are protected, while also doing all in our power to bring healing and justice to victim-survivors and treat them with compassion and respect.”
According to their website, the Archdiocese serves approximately 2.5 million people in almost 300 parishes throughout New York City and seven counties. Cardinal Dolan said that the organization has made “a series of very difficult financial decisions” in order to compensate survivors, including a 10% reduction in their operating budget and numerous layoffs. The Archdiocese also hopes to finalize the sale of multiple properties, including their former Manhattan headquarters.
After numerous meetings with lawyers who represent survivors, the Archdiocese agreed to enlist Daniel J Buckley as a “neutral mediator” throughout their negotiations. Buckley has overseen similar global negotiations such as an $880 million settlement requiring the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to compensate more than 1,000 survivors.
Jeff Anderson, attorney to hundreds of survivors who have filed claims against the Archdiocese, affirmed that the organization has taken a “step in the right direction” and acknowledged that this is the “first time [they have] shown willingness to engage in any kind of process to bring all of this toward resolution.”
New York State has seen a rising number of lawsuits involving the Catholic Church. From 2019 to 2021, over 3,300 child sexual abuse lawsuits were filed against cardinals, bishops, priests, and other religious staff.
Cardinal Dolan asks for forgiveness and reminds the public that this “work is ongoing and will never cease.”
Authors: Alexis Kabat and Andy Goldwasser
