The reason for this is around 400 lawsuits in which priests and other church employees are accused of sexually abusing children. A diocese spokesman said it would likely take $550 million to settle the lawsuits out of court.
The background to the new wave of lawsuits is a law that has been in force in California since 2019, which has largely abolished the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. According to the Diocese of San Diego, the current lawsuits relate to events that occurred 50 to 75 years ago. Allegations against active priests are not included.
