The Archdiocese of San Francisco announced yesterday, Monday, that it had reached an agreement to pay $395 million to approximately 530 victims of sexualabuse by members of the clergy, in order to bring their legal claims to a close.

Sexual abuse—primarily of minors—by members of the clergy, cases that often took place decades ago, had long been barred by the statute of limitations, until California passed a law granting victims a three-year window to come forward and file lawsuits and complaints, between early 2020 and late 2022, for offenses of this nature, regardless of when they occurred.

The agreement “paves the way for fair compensation to be offered to survivors, who have borne the burden of this abuse their entire lives,” said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, according to a press release issued by his office.

“We take full responsibility for what happened, and I sincerely apologize to all those who have suffered,” he added, referring to the Catholic Church’s “moral obligation” to account for these offenses.

The financial terms of the settlement must still be approved by the victims in a vote before being ratified by a judge.

“Today, the shame shifts to the other side,” commented one of the victims, Margie O’Driscoll, who had been sexually abused by a priest nearly 50 years ago at a Catholic school.

“Like all survivors, I carried this pain and this shame like an iron ball chained to my leg for a very, very long time,” he said during a press conference, emphasizing that for endless years, the victims were treated with utter “contempt” by the church hierarchy.

“The worst suffering was endured by those who died while this case dragged on, without their names ever being mentioned in court and without the archdiocese ever apologizing to them,” he emphasized.

Jeff Anderson, an attorney who, like others, represents a large number of victims, spoke of “significant progress,” explaining that beyond the financial aspect—the reparations— the agreement compels the archdiocese to implement 14 measures for the “protection of children” and to provide “survivors with the means to take action.”

The institution is expected to commit to hiring an independent consultant, who will have access to its full records and will submit a report on cases of this nature.

A list—though not a complete one—of clergy who committed such offenses will be made public, and a hotline will also be established to report such cases in the future.

The Roman Catholic Church has faced sexual abuse scandals—primarily involving minors—committed by members of the clergy virtually all over the world.

However, the way these cases are handled varies greatly from country to country. In Spain, for example, which Pope Leo XIV visited in early June, the Church has been strongly criticized by many for its lack of transparency on the issue.