L A Catholics to pay 60 mln dollars on sex-abuse claims

LOS ANGELES, Dec 2 (Reuters) The Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese, the largest in the United States, has said it will pay 60 million dollars to settle 45 of the more than 500 claims against it claiming sexual abuse by its priests.

But a lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Ray Boucher, cautioned yesterday that the settlements, which involved claims against 22 priests, had not been finalized, although he hoped final details would be worked out within a few weeks.

''The sexual abuse of minors is both a sin and a crime, and there is no place in the priesthood for those who have abused children,'' Cardinal Roger Mahony said in a statement.

He said he would pray the settlement helped victims to move forward with their lives.

Although the settlement covers a small portion of the 562 cases against the Los Angeles archdiocese, it is the first sex abuse settlement Mahony has approved and more cases are expected to follow as insurance companies, lawyers and the church hammer out issues, the groups said.

The Los Angeles archdiocese said it will pay about 40 million dollars of the cost of the 45 cases that are near settlement, and insurance companies and religious orders will pay the remainder.

Boucher, who is assigned to coordinate the cases for the plaintiffs, said the cases still had details to be worked out and must be signed by the plaintiffs.

''We're closer than we've ever been and optimistic we will get it finished in next couple of weeks,'' he said.

Boucher noted there are more than 600 sex abuse cases against the Roman Catholic Church in all of southern California. For the 45 who settled, ''it begins a road to healing, but it's also a painful process for others who said, 'when am I going to have my turn,''' Boucher said.

Likewise Joelle Casteix, southwest regional director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said she hoped this was ''the first step to healing for the victims.'' The Roman Catholic Church in the United States has been hit with numerous lawsuits and claims in recent years alleging sex abuse by its priests.

About one week ago, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth in Texas reached a settlement for an undisclosed sum of money with 11 men who claimed they had been abused.

REUTERS SB ND1034