Cardinal Roger M. Mahony said Friday that the Los Angeles Archdiocese had agreed to pay $60 million to 45 people who said they were abused by Roman Catholic priests -- a payout that would be among the highest per person since the clergy sex abuse scandal exploded four years ago.
But within hours, plaintiffs' attorneys said Mahony had "jumped the gun" in announcing a settlement. Raymond P. Boucher, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, confirmed that they were "on the verge of settling" but said "there are still some issues to be ironed out."
"If we are able to put the finishing touches on this deal, then it will be a historic day," he said. "Forty-five victims have been waiting a year to get these cases resolved, and finally it looks like we are on the verge of doing so."
The payments cover just a fraction of the 570 claims filed against the nation's largest archdiocese, setting the stage for payouts in the hundreds of millions of dollars to resolve the cases still pending. The cases settled Friday resolve only allegations of abuse in years the archdiocese was either not insured or was underinsured -- cases that took place prior to 1954 or after 1986.
Mahony, who personally called reporters Friday morning to report the settlement, later expressed surprise at the reaction of plaintiffs' lawyers.
He said he made the announcement after the two sides reached a "handshake deal" in the case in front of a judge earlier this week. Plaintiffs' attorneys might still have details to work out among themselves, he said, but the issues separating the church and the litigants have been resolved.
He said the archdiocese had notified Boucher that it planned to announce the settlement early Friday morning.
Mahony said the planned payout would not adversely affect parish functions or ministries.
"We set aside last year $40 million for this settlement. While it is painful, no parishes are affected," he said. The remaining $20 million would come from limited insurance payouts, as well as $8 million from five religious orders that had members involved in the cases, said attorney J. Michael Hennigan, who negotiated on behalf of the archdiocese.
Mahony said the settlement was "very important to us."
"This is a major effort at healing and reconciliation," he said.
But some advocates for victims of clergy abuse remained skeptical.
