SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
June 30, 2026
SNAP lauds the $395 million settlement by the San Francisco Catholic archdiocese to settle more than 500 lawsuits for clerical sexual abuse, an important first step in achieving justice for survivors.
“This is an important step for closure but much more is still needed,” said Dan McNevin, SNAP’s Treasurer and himself a California survivor. “San Francisco must publish an accurate list and assure that all living priests, who are accused of sexual abuse, are kept away from children.”
Attorneys for survivors released a statement Monday saying that a series of reforms addressing child protection and transparency will be implemented as part of the settlement. In addition, San Francisco archbishop, Salvatore Cordileone, will be required to write an apology letter to each survivor.
The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy three years ago. The settlement will cover roughly 530 survivors of child sexual abuse.
SNAP tracks and documents the number of dioceses in the United States that declare bankruptcy each year as a way to protect their assets from the cost of settling claims of clergy sexual abuse.
“The Catholic Church has used bankruptcy as a strategy of insulating itself from legal and financial penalties for its crimes against children and vulnerable people,” said Angela Walker, SNAP’s Executive Director.
SNAP’s Bankruptcy Tracker aims to reveal the Catholic Church’s efforts to circumvent the prosecutor’s office and severely limit survivors’ ability to seek reparations from abusers and those who protected them.
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Read the latest news on the San Francisco Settlement on our website homepage at Top News:
San Francisco archdiocese to pay $395m to settle over 500 child sexual abuse claims
Explore SNAP’s Bankruptcy Tracker here.