Minnesota Clergy Abuse Victims Settle for $210M

"This has been a long day coming," a sexual abuse survivor said Thursday as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced "the second-largest payout in the scandal that rocked the nation's Roman Catholic Church," per the AP. The $210 million settlement for 450 victims of clergy sex abuse comes after years of back and forth between victims' lawyers, who describe 91 clergy members credibly accused of abuse, and the archdiocese, which filed for bankruptcy in 2015, reports USA Today.

"I recognize that the abuse stole so much from you—your childhood, your innocence, your safety, your ability to trust, and in many cases your faith," Archbishop Bernard Hebda said, addressing victims. "The church let you down. I am very sorry." Officials say the deal, which needs approval from a federal judge, is a hit the archdiocese can "endure," per the Pioneer Press. It's to pay $40 million, with $170 million coming from its insurers. The largest payout made was the $660 million the Archdiocese of Los Angeles paid to 508 victims in 2007. (More Catholic Church stories.)