The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York said on Oct. 6 that it has created a compensation program for people who were sexually abused by priests or deacons and are willing to forego lawsuits in exchange for an award to be determined by an independent mediator. Some advocates for victims of sexual abuse immediately assailed the program as an attempt to quash cases before New York’s legislature acts on a proposal to make it easier for victims to sue over abuse that happened years ago. Under the plan, people with abuse claims already pending with the church would have a limited time window—until Jan. 31—to apply for compensation. There will be no cap on the amount of compensation and the archdiocese has agreed to pay whatever amount mediators order. New York state lawmakers have debated extending the statute of limitations on suing sexual abusers of children or creating a window of opportunity for past victims to file civil suits against abusers. Such proposals have faced strong opposition from the Catholic Church and other institutions.
Abuse Compensation
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York presides at an August Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz) 
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
In this homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year C, the Rev. Hank Hilton draws on ancient philosophy, childhood boat rides on the Jersey Shore and his mother’s steady wisdom to reflect on the transformative power of Christ’s kindness.
My primary problem with the parade wasn’t just that it broke a norm. My problem is that it reminded me how easily we tell ourselves comforting stories instead of asking hard questions.
The USCCB wrote a letter to Congress on May 20 mildly refuting certain aspects of Trump's Big Beautiful Bill.
Two new books give a multi-hued portrait of Seamus Heaney as he pursued a late-20th-century vocation as a public advocate of poetry and as a somewhat private advocate of Catholicism as a folk culture.