There have been a growing number of lawsuits alleging abuse at the hands of a clergy member in recent years. To date, thousands of lawsuits have been resolved, with billions of dollars being paid out in damages as a result. However, victims continue to come forward across the United States, meaning that clergy abuse lawsuits are still ongoing. There are even widespread investigations being conducted by attorneys general, such as the attorney general of Michigan.
January 2025 Update
Survivors of clergy sexual abuse gathered in Rome to urge the Vatican to adopt the same zero tolerance policy that has governed the United States Catholic Church since 2002. Clergy abuse survivors argued that children worldwide deserve the same protections currently limited to the US. The need for constant renewal of these protections underscores broader questions about the Catholic Church’s commitment to global standards in preventing clergy abuse.
Is there a clergy abuse lawsuit?
Yes, there are currently lawsuits taking place against clergy members alleging abuse. There have been many cases over the years against religious orders, church leaders, Catholic dioceses, and individual clergy members. Within the past decade alone, there have been thousands of lawsuits related to clergy abuse. There are two big reasons why clergy abuse lawsuits are becoming more frequent.
First, it often takes many years for abuse victims to feel ready to file a lawsuit. It is common for victims who were abused as children to wait until they are adults to report the incident. Second, many states have adjusted their laws to make it easier for victims of clergy abuse to come forward and file a lawsuit. For example, some states have extended the statutes of limitation related to these cases or suspended them for a period of time. As more states continue to adjust their laws, we could see even more clergy abuse lawsuits in the future.
According to data from Bishop-Accountability.org, more than 6,700 priests and other clergy members have been accused of abuse between the years 1960 and 2016. This has led to many lawsuits across the U.S., with the total number currently unknown. Across the U.S., Catholic dioceses have paid more than a combined $3 billion dollars to the many victims.
There have been many notable settlements in the U.S., with the largest being for $660 million. This settlement, which occurred in 2007, resolved the claims of more than 500 victims against 221 priests, brothers, and other church employees in California. There was also an $85 million settlement in Boston, which resolved more than 550 cases..
Clergy abuse linked to long-lasting psychological damage
Numerous studies have shown the devastating, long-lasting impacts of clergy abuse. In many studies related to clergy abuse, victims report suffering from conditions such as anxiety and depression, along with difficulties in forming interpersonal relationships. Some studies have even found that those abused as children have a higher mistrust of institutions as they grow older and experience many of the same symptoms as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These studies come from a variety of sources, such as private Jesuit universities, public research journals, and even the Catholic Church itself. However, regardless of the sources, each study shows that victims of sexual abuse from a member of the clergy often experience long-lasting, negative effects. Given these findings, many more people have begun to speak out about their own abuse, including filing lawsuits
Measuring & Exploring Moral Injury Caused by Clergy Sexual Abuse
One study from Xavier University aimed to “measure the moral injury caused by clergy sexual abuse. "As defined by the study, moral injury is the result of a betrayal of trust, which disrupts one’s beliefs and moral compass. Elements of moral injury include spiritual anguish, social alienation, emotional distress, and a distrust of institutions. Moral injury can also overlap with, or extend beyond, PTSD
According to the research, clergy sexual abuse resulted in moral injury to survivors. Researchers conducted this study by surveying adult survivors of clergy sexual abuse, of which 389 responded to at least part of the survey. The questionnaire focused on the participants’ religious beliefs, awareness of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, and experiences of moral injury related to clergy abuse.
The study compared responses from survivors of clergy abuse to others aware of clergy abuse, such as Xavier staff and students. Researchers found that, on average, total moral injury scores for survivors were higher than those of the other groups. However, the results also indicated that while moral injury was generally higher among those connected directly to clergy sexual abuse, impacts also spread among groups with connections to the Catholic Church.
Effects of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests on Adults Victimized as Children
A study published in the Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity journal in 2008 aimed to examine the impact of clergy sexual abuse and how it compares to abuse from a layperson. The study aimed to answer two questions. The first was about the psychological and spiritual impacts on people who experience sexual abuse when the offender is a Catholic priest, while the second wanted to know if there was a difference in symptoms between those who were abused by a priest and those abused by a layperson.
The researchers discovered that, while there were no significant differences between the two groups, both groups experienced significant negative effects. In both groups, there were high levels of depression along with strong indications of learned helplessness. According to the findings of the study, “because there are often long-term psychological effects of childhood sexual abuse and the abuse may go unreported for decades, maintaining a statute of limitations is inadvertently helping the abuser.”
