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Diocese announces $19 million payout for victims of sexual abuse

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The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Thursday it has paid more than $19 million to victims of childhood sexual abuse by clergy from a compensation fund, and that all claims have been processed.

The diocese said $19.2 million had been paid to 224 claimants. A total of 369 claims were submitted since the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) was announced by Bishop David Zubik in December 2018.

The program was established four months after a grand jury report released by the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro revealed widespread sexual abuse of children by priests had taken place in parishes across the commonwealth over several decades. The report also found, in some cases, reports of the abuse were ignored or covered up.

Of the 369 claims that were submitted, 70 were deemed ineligible and two were withdrawn. Twenty-one of the claimants did not respond to their offers, and 52 rejected them.

The diocese raised the $19 million it is paying out through insurance, the closure of the pastoral center in downtown Pittsburgh, and the sale of historical assets within the diocese, such as the property where the St. Joseph Protectory for Homeless Boys, which closed in the 1950s, once stood. The diocese has emphasized that no money earmarked for parishes or schools has been used to pay sexual abuse victims.

“My heart continues to grieve for the victims of childhood sexual abuse, especially those abused by clergy, the very people who were ordained to guide them to a life of holiness. It is my prayer that this compensation will provide support that victims/survivors need on their path toward healing,” Zubik said in a statement.

“Although this is the end of the fund,” he added, “there will be no end to my and our diocese’s commitment to protect young people from abuse and to reach out with care and concern to anyone who has been harmed.”

The fund was administered by the Law Offices of Kenneth Feinberg in Washington, D.C. Feinberg is a well-known mediator and the firm made offers without input from the diocese.

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