L.A. Catholic Church to pay record settlement over clergy abuse; cumulative payouts top $1.5 billion

In what could be the closing chapter in a landmark legal battle, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades in the largest settlement involving the Catholic Church.

Attorneys for 1,353 people who allege that they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of local Catholic priests reached the settlement after months of negotiations with the archdiocese. The agreement caps a quarter-century of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the United States.

The settlement leaves only a few lawsuits pending against the church in Los Angeles, attorneys for the victims say.