SF Archdiocese To Pay Nearly $400M To Settle With Sex Abuse Survivors

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The Archdiocese of San Francisco has agreed to pay out $395 million to settle hundreds of lawsuits against the church, accusing it of enabling the sexual abuse of parishioners in the Bay Area.

The settlement, announced Monday, is the most recent development in the case since the Archdiocese of San Francisco filed for bankruptcy in 2023.

"There’s been a monumental shift in power — the Archdiocese of San Francisco used to hold the power over survivors who were abused as children by priests," Jennifer Stein, one of the attorneys who represented the survivors, said, according to KQED. "Now, the survivors have the power, have the voice, and have demanded real accountability."

Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone said in a statement Monday that the institution recognized that "no financial settlement can erase the painful legacy of these past actions."

"However, we believe this proposal offers a path toward fair compensation for survivors who have carried the burden of this abuse for a lifetime," Cordileone said. "Sexual abuse of children and young people is a tragedy that has affected many parts of society, including the Church."

When California passed Assembly Bill 218 in 2019, it opened up the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases. What followed were thousands of lawsuits accusing several individuals and institutions, especially Catholic institutions, of child sexual abuse. A vast majority of the cases happened decades ago.

Since then, many dioceses, including San Francisco's, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to shield themselves from more than 500 civil lawsuits filed under the 2019 law. Dioceses in Oakland and Sacramento have also filed for bankruptcy in recent years.

As of February, dioceses in New Jersey, Los Angeles and New Orleans have agreed to massive payouts to settle ongoing claims.

In 2024, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay $880 million to more than 1,000 victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades.

Aside from the massive payout, these settlements have also brought on systemic change within religious institutions.

In San Francisco, the diocese will need to change its policies to increase transparency and accountability, according to KQED.

This will include a 14-point plan that focuses on protecting children, empowering survivors, and new oversight measures, such as amending the whistleblower policy, according to KQED.

"I sincerely apologize to all those who have suffered because of those failures," Cordileone said. "We remain committed to fostering healing and reconciliation and to accompanying all who deserve our unwavering respect, attention, and prayers."

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