Los Angeles, Calif., May 14, 2019 / 15:56 pm
Bishops in California announced May 14 a new program to compensate victims of clerical sexual abuse, through which any person sexually abused as a minor by a diocesan priest can apply for compensation- no matter when the abuse occurred.
"We have been providing pastoral care and financial support for victim-survivors here in the Archdiocese for many years. We will continue to do so," Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles said in a letter accompanying the announcement.
"But we also understand that some victim-survivors are reluctant to come to the Church for assistance. Our hope with this new program is to give these people a chance to seek redress and healing through an independent program."
The new program applies to six of California's 12 Catholic dioceses- Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange, and Fresno. These six dioceses represent 80% of California's Catholics, the announcement asserts.