The Sept. 26 announcement of a $323 million settlement between the Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, NY and over 500 survivors of clergy sexual abuse that was reported by the Guardian, is the largest Catholic church settlement to date, but it raises a crucial question: Will it be the beginning of a new chapter for holding the Catholic Church accountable for decades of abuse? This agreement could very well inspire more victims to come forward, not just in Long Island but across the nation.
The settlement offers long-overdue compensation to survivors who have lived with the trauma of abuse for decades and underscores how deeply entrenched the issue of child sexual abuse is within the Catholic Church. The Diocese of Rockville Centre serves over 1.2 million Catholics in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The settlement had been in jeopardy of collapsing and comes after survivors rejected a previous $200 million offer.
Judge Martin Glenn, who oversaw the bankruptcy case, hailed the settlement as “enormous progress,” but should it have taken bankruptcy to reach this point? The diocese filed for Chapter 11 in October 2020, citing the financial toll of abuse lawsuits. Yet, that bankruptcy filing is not just a means of financial protection—it’s also a legal shield. By filing for bankruptcy, dioceses like Rockville Centre can consolidate hundreds of abuse claims and negotiate a single settlement, avoiding the messy and public spectacle of multiple individual lawsuits. Is this the path to justice, or simply a convenient escape route?
The Rockville Centre settlement may indeed set a precedent, offering a blueprint for other dioceses to follow. For instance, the Archdiocese of New Orleans has already proposed a far smaller settlement—just $62.5 million—despite facing claims from a comparable number of survivors. How long will it be before these dioceses are forced to face the true cost of their negligence?
Moreover, the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Purdue Pharma case, which limited bankruptcy courts’ ability to grant sweeping legal protections to non-bankrupt entities like Purdue former owners, the Sackler family, has already changed the landscape. The ruling has made it harder for dioceses to offer protections to non-bankrupt parishes or affiliates, forcing them to find new ways to incentivize contributions from insurers. Rockville Centre responded by having all of its parishes file for bankruptcy, a bold yet controversial move that protected these entities but left survivors feeling as though the Church was still more concerned with protecting its assets than addressing the long-term harm caused by abuse.
The Diocese’s spokesperson, Eric Fasano, insisted that this settlement would allow the Church to continue its “essential mission.” But what is that mission, if not to protect the vulnerable? For too long, the Church has failed in this regard, and while this settlement is a step forward, it remains to be seen whether it will lead to lasting change or simply serve as another chapter in the Church’s long history of sidestepping accountability.
The survivors who fought for this settlement deserve recognition, not just for their courage but for their unwillingness to accept anything less than what they are owed. Yet, there are undoubtedly more victims—both known and unknown—who continue to suffer. Will they find the strength to come forward? Will they be met with the same resistance and legal maneuvers? Or will this settlement finally pave the way for a future where the Catholic Church confronts its dark past and commits to real reform?
Only time will tell whether this $323 million settlement marks the beginning of true justice or merely serves as a temporary fix to a much deeper problem. But one thing is certain: survivors of clergy sexual abuse are no longer willing to be silenced, and that in itself is a victory.
Leave a Reply