San Francisco, CA, June 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The “Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco” (RCASF) announced today an agreement in principle to a financial settlement proposal of $395 million for survivors of sexual abuse associated with California Assembly Bill 218 (AB-218).
All litigation between the RCASF, the Creditors’ Committee and other related organizations has been paused as the RCASF and other parties work in good faith on the details of a consensual Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.
The proposed financial settlement would resolve the more than 500 lawsuits related to child sexual abuse allegations brought against the RCASF under AB-218, which provided a three-year window (from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2022) for filing decades-old civil claims that otherwise were time barred.
“We believe this proposal provides a path toward fair compensation for survivors who have borne the weight of this abuse for a lifetime,” said the Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco. “The entire Catholic family is called to unite and share in the work of making amends through this proposed settlement. We have a moral obligation to bring some level of healing and reconciliation to those who deserve our unwavering respect, attention and prayers. With stringent preventative measures and trainings now in place for decades, the hope is that this proposal will allow us collectively to move forward by continuing the important ministries to the faithful and community members that rely on our services and charity.”
Since the Chapter 11 filing in August 2023, the RCASF, parishes, schools and other entities have continued to serve the 442,000 Catholics in the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin, and its priests and deacons have continued to carry out their vital ministries within the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco has been long committed to providing available resources such as counseling and pastoral assistance to survivors of abuse. It had established policies and protocols to protect children and address and report incidents of sexual abuse of minors even before the U.S. bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002. The Archdiocese has taken exhaustive steps to immediately remove from active ministry any person with an allegation of sexual childhood abuse while an investigation is pending, to require criminal background checks for clergy, employees, and volunteers who work with youth, and to implement educational programs for both children and adults to prevent abuse.
The Archdiocese also established an Office of Child and Youth Protection to maintain the highest standards for its preventative Safe Environment Program and to address allegations of past and current abuse by any clergy, employee, or volunteer. The program has two Safe Environment Coordinators to monitor program compliance; in addition, a Victim Assistance Coordinator maintains a hotline for reporting abuse, provides counseling, and offers other support services. The Office is also responsible for coordinating the fingerprinting of employees, volunteers, and clerics who interact with children, as well as facilitating annual compliance audits conducted by independent auditors to review the implementation of policies and procedures for the protection of children. The archdiocese has an outstanding audit record. The settlement also will include several non-monetary provisions designed to strengthen the existing Safe Environment Program.
“While the vast majority of sexual abuse allegations associated with this bankruptcy were from many decades ago, we accept full responsibility for what happened, and I sincerely apologize to all those who have been harmed,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “We remain committed to the healing and care of survivors who have suffered because of past sins of Church ministers. We pray for all survivors of sexual abuse, for our Archdiocese, parish communities and schools, and for the eradication of this shameful crime from our midst and from society as a whole.”
Additional information on the proposed settlement and the archdiocesan Safe Environment Program can be found on the Archdiocese of San Francisco website.
Peter Marlow Archdiocese of San Francisco (415) 614-5636 comms@sfarch.com
