Disagreements persist despite abuse settlement - Mahony says he sought the deal to ease victims' pain. But their lawyers fear the full truth may never be revealed.

Mahony, in his first public statement since the Los Angeles Archdiocese's record $660-million settlement was reached with 508 claimants, said he told the victims, "Your life, I wish were like a VHS tape, we could put the tape in

But attorneys and advocates for the victims said they were skeptical of Mahony's timing for the settlement, noting that the pact announced Saturday, after 4 1/2 years of negotiations, came just before the first case was set to go to trial, with the cardinal slated to testify. And they said they fear they will never learn the full truth about the accused and those who may have shielded them, including Mahony.

"He avoided the No. 1 thing he fears, which is disclosing under oath how much he knew and how little he did about predatory priests," said David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.

The settlement, which ends all pending abuse litigation against the nation's most populous archdiocese, calls for the archdiocese to provide its internal files on accused abusers to a retired judge, who will determine what should be released to victims and the public. Victims have said the files will document efforts by the church hierarchy to cover up for pedophile priests by moving them from parish to parish without alerting police or parishioners.

But plaintiffs' attorneys say critical details of what exactly will be turned over to the judge have yet to be worked out.

"We have another huge fight ahead," said attorney Katherine Freberg, who represents 109 victims.

Mahony said he would turn everything over to the retired judge, but noted that some documents, such as psychiatric reports that the archdiocese had fought to keep sealed, might not be disclosed publicly. Individual priests are expected to raise legal objections.

"Under California law, these documents are privileged, and there must be a compelling reason to release them," Mahony said. "I leave that to [the judge]."

Mahony, speaking at a news conference at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels downtown, called the settlement the end of a long journey that at times left him feeling like he had "reached the bottom."