Payments to clergy sexual abuse survivors in Philadelphia, Scranton top $20 million

The meter is ticking as administrators for compensation funds in Catholic dioceses across the state process payments to survivors who experienced child sexual abuse at the hands of trusted priests.

Church officials have released interim statements showing the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Scranton have paid nearly $21.8 million to 110 survivors of clergy sexual abuse who opted to forego legal action and seek compensation from the church.

The two church bodies are among six Roman Catholic dioceses and one archdiocese in Pennsylvania that opened compensation funds for survivors of clergy sexual abuse following the release of last summer’s statewide grand jury report that detailed allegations of rampant child sexual abuse and cover-ups in Catholic diocese across the state.

The Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie dioceses all have ongoing compensation funds, but have yet to issue interim reports on payments.

Those who opt to accept payments must sign away any future right to sue the church.

Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros who are administering the compensation fund for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia reported that as of the end of May the Archdiocese had paid or authorized payments of $19.6 million to 93 individuals for an average payout of about $210,000.

The program is scheduled to continue to take claims through September.

In the much smaller Scranton diocese, officials said the compensation fund, which is also being handled by Feinberg and Biros, had paid out $2.16 million to 17 individuals as of May 10.