USA: The leader of the largest U.S. Roman Catholic Archdiocese apologizes for sex abuse by priests

The leader of the largest U.S. Roman Catholic archdiocese has apologized for the sexual abuse committed by priests. Cardinal Roger Mahony described it as a "terrible sin and crime". Some of the offences date back to the 1940's. The Los Angeles archdiocese has agreed to pay 508 victims a record $660 million. The settlement is the latest chapter in a scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church world-wide, damaging its moral standing and forcing five U.S. diocese to seek bankruptcy protection. Many parishioners hope this marks the beginning of the end of the crisis. "Although we feel bad for those who went through this, the issue is it happened, it's in the past now, and they have to make the best of it in terms of getting their life back together," said one man outside the church. A spokesman for the Los Angeles archdiocese said Mahony would be in court on Monday (July 16) as attorneys seek the judges' approval of the settlement. Individual victims will receive between $100,000 and $4 million each. A lawyer for the church said a third to half of settlements typically goes to plaintiffs' attorneys as compensation in contingency cases, although the lawyers declined to discuss their fees. On Sunday Mohony said the settlement could not undo the damage caused to victims. "The one thing I wish I could give the victims, I cannot, which is a restoration to where they were originally," said Mahony. The Catholic Church, in which priests take a vow of celibacy, has faced abuse allegations world-wide over the past decade. Victims have alleged that church leaders often knew of the abuse but did not do enough to stop it. Victims say they have mixed emotions about the settlement, which puts an end to trials that they hoped would shed more light on the scandal. At the same time, they say they realize the money may help many to start the healing process. "We do hope that victims with this settlement stay in therapy or get into therapy because the money does not erase the effects of the abuse," said Mary Grant, a spokesperson for SNAP, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. Other U.S. diocese have reached financial settlements with victims. The Archdiocese of Boston, where the U.S. scandal erupted in 2002, reached a 2003 deal for 550 people worth $85 million. But victims have had special leverage in California because state legislators authorized an exception to the statute of limitations for old abuse complaints. The Los Angeles cases have cast a spotlight on Mahony, one of the most prominent U.S. Catholic leaders. Victims allege he did not deal properly with complaints against priests of abuse, and the settlement spares him difficult questions in court. If the archdiocese keeps to its schedule, all payments will be made ahead of a 2008 trip by Pope Benedict to the United States announced on Sunday.

ITN Source | July 16, 2007

Tags:. .grant. .crisis. .worth. .often. .wish