CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Times
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
Hours after agreeing to pay $100 million and make public secret files of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, Bishop Tod D. Brown on Monday knelt in prayer for the victims of sexual abuse by priests.
"We have done this in the larger hope of reconciliation and healing," Brown told about 100 worshipers at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange. "We hope that our actions can restore the trust that many have lost in the leaders of the church."
Earlier in the day, Brown formally agreed to a deal that amounted to the nation's largest between the church and alleged sexual abuse victims since the scandal broke three years ago.
Payments to the alleged victims will range from $500,000 to $1.6 million each, according to Raymond P. Boucher, lead counsel for those who were suing.
The settlements to the 90 people who sued average $1.1 million each, with their attorneys keeping up to 40% of the payment as fees.
Posted by kshaw at January 4, 2005 03:28 AM