Survivors approve $800 million abuse settlement with New York Archdiocese, lawyers say; archbishop says deal not final until signed

As of 6:58 a.m. ET, Oct. 25, 2026

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse have agreed to an $800 million settlement with the Archdiocese of New York, lawyers said Saturday, Reuters reported. The deal would resolve claims brought by approximately 1,300 people, according to Reuters.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks told the archdiocese's clergy the same day that an agreement had been reached but was not yet final. "While the deal is not yet final – and won't be until the settlement is signed, now scheduled for the week of November 6th – we have, in fact, reached an understanding with all of the plaintiffs and their attorneys," Hicks wrote in an email reported by The Good Newsroom, the archdiocese's news outlet.

The claims were brought under New York's Child Victims Act, according to the Hicks letter, and cover the archdiocese, its parishes and affiliated agencies. "We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors," Hicks wrote.

What the lawyers and Reuters said

Jeff Anderson & Associates, which represents 300 abuse survivors, called the agreement "a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice," Reuters reported. The archdiocese had agreed to the payment in May, according to Reuters.

Reuters reported that the archdiocese also agreed to release documents pertaining to sexual offenders in the church, and that the settlement allows survivors to pursue the church's insurers for additional payouts while avoiding a bankruptcy by the archdiocese.

What is not known

The settlement has not been signed, and its full terms have not been made public in the material reviewed for this report. Hicks did not state a dollar figure in the letter quoted by The Good Newsroom. No court filing was reviewed for this report.