Agreement Reached on Sexual Abuse Claims in California: Archdiocese to Pay $8.25 Million

From the Archdiocese of Milwaukee web site

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has reached resolution with all 10 victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California. The global agreement, which will pay the 10 victims/survivors $16.65 million, resulted from a two-day court-ordered mediation. Under the agreement, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will pay $8.25 million – approximately half the amount – with the remainder being paid by insurance.

The archdiocese’s financial responsibility will be fulfilled through current financial holdings, including properties owned by the archdiocese and the liquidation of some short- and long-term investments. Included in this will be the proceeds from the sale of the Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center, which were initially intended to benefit Saint Francis Seminary and the future formation of men preparing for priesthood, and other property that had been designated for future pastoral, educational or charitable ministries of the Church. ...

Update: Tom Heinen reports in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Update 2: The quality of mercy, strained

Diogenes at Off the Record reviews our Archdiocese's settlement of the California claims, and the history behind them, and concludes,

We might profitably contrast Archbishop Cousins's "fraternal charity to a fellow priest" with the approach one un-named layman took to Widera's recreational activities:

A male grade school teacher saw Fr. Siegfried [Widera] fooling around with the boys of another teacher. He said to Father that if he fooled around in the same way with his students, he would punch Father in the face.

Sure, sure, violence begets violence, as Bishop Sklba reminds us, but I can't help wondering who, among the several fathers involved, actually demonstrated some paternal charity toward the vulnerable ...