New York Catholic Church agrees to mediation for 1,300 sexual abuse claims

Cardinal Timothy Dolan attends a press conference following the election of Pope Leo XIV, at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, May 9, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Dec 8 (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Church in New York and more than 1,300 accusers on Monday announced they have agreed to mediation to settle sexual abuse claims that could result in one of the largest payouts ever by the church in the United States.

Similar cases against the Catholic Church in the United States have resulted in billions of dollars in payouts, as priests and church lay workers were found to have sexually preyed on children for decades while being protected by the church hierarchy.