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LA church sale to fund sex claims | LA church sale to fund sex claims |
(10 minutes later) | |
The Roman Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles has said his archdiocese will sell its main office to raise money to settle lawsuits for sexual abuse. | The Roman Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles has said his archdiocese will sell its main office to raise money to settle lawsuits for sexual abuse. |
Cardinal Roger Mahony also said some 50 other buildings could be sold to settle hundreds of lawsuits brought by people who had been abused by priests. | Cardinal Roger Mahony also said some 50 other buildings could be sold to settle hundreds of lawsuits brought by people who had been abused by priests. |
In December, the archdiocese - America's largest - paid some $40m (£20m) to settle 46 cases. | |
But it still faces more than 500 claims that have been in litigation for years. | But it still faces more than 500 claims that have been in litigation for years. |
'Quick settlement' | 'Quick settlement' |
"Though it has always been the position of the archdiocese that the insurance companies must honour their responsibility to fund a major share of future settlements, the archdiocese must be prepared to fund its share," Cardinal Mahony said in a statement on Tuesday. | "Though it has always been the position of the archdiocese that the insurance companies must honour their responsibility to fund a major share of future settlements, the archdiocese must be prepared to fund its share," Cardinal Mahony said in a statement on Tuesday. |
He said the archdiocese's main administrative office - a 12-storey building in Los Angeles - would be sold to fund the settlements. | He said the archdiocese's main administrative office - a 12-storey building in Los Angeles - would be sold to fund the settlements. |
Cardinal Mahony also said that a working group had already identified some 50 other non-essential church properties for sale. | Cardinal Mahony also said that a working group had already identified some 50 other non-essential church properties for sale. |
"No parishes or parish schools will be closed to fund these settlements, nor will their essential ministries be affected by these sales," the cardinal said. | "No parishes or parish schools will be closed to fund these settlements, nor will their essential ministries be affected by these sales," the cardinal said. |
He did not specify any timetable for those settlements, but expressed hopes that the matter would be resolved in "the near future". | He did not specify any timetable for those settlements, but expressed hopes that the matter would be resolved in "the near future". |
The archdiocese last year settled 46 civil cases, paying some $40m (£20m) of the total amount of $60m (£30m). The rest was paid by insurers. | |
The cases related to two periods when it had limited or no insurance against sexual abuse claims - before the 1950s and after 1987. | The cases related to two periods when it had limited or no insurance against sexual abuse claims - before the 1950s and after 1987. |
But the archdiocese still faces more than 500 claims, with some experts saying that it could cost the church as much as $1bn (£500m) to settle all of them. | But the archdiocese still faces more than 500 claims, with some experts saying that it could cost the church as much as $1bn (£500m) to settle all of them. |
The archdiocese says it has more than 4.3m Catholics in nearly 300 parishes. | The archdiocese says it has more than 4.3m Catholics in nearly 300 parishes. |
The Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of child sex abuse scandals in recent years, particularly in North America and also in Ireland. | The Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of child sex abuse scandals in recent years, particularly in North America and also in Ireland. |
In the US, a Boston-based scandal in 2002 led to the prosecutions of a number of priests, large payouts to dozens of victims and allegations of a cover-up by senior clergy. | In the US, a Boston-based scandal in 2002 led to the prosecutions of a number of priests, large payouts to dozens of victims and allegations of a cover-up by senior clergy. |