Clergy abuse plaintiffs say limbo over

Settlement payment in cases scheduled next

By Tom Kisken (Contact)
Ventura County Star Tuesday, July 17, 2007

For some, the $660 million clergy abuse settlement finalized in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday may begin healing. It is a final source of bitterness for others.

But for most, the settlement is at least an end to a five-year limbo that often seemed endless.

"For me personally, this puts the clock in motion again," said Ann Sargent, a former Ventura County resident and one of 508 alleged victims who will receive anywhere from $100,000 to $3.5 million in the nation's largest church abuse settlement. "I feel like for the duration of this lawsuit, the clock has been stilled. It's been a long time."

The settlement, struck Saturday night and approved by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Haley Fromholz on Monday as some plaintiffs cried, means the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will sell some of its property. But the closures that followed a clergy abuse settlement in Boston won't happen here, archdiocese officials said. Parishes won't close, nor will schools.

"We've been reassured that it doesn't impact the parishes," said the Rev. Jon Majarucon of Santa Clara Catholic Church in Oxnard. "We're not going to lose property. We're not going to lose any of the money the parishes have."

The settlement involves all remaining clergy abuse cases, including 40 or more suits filed by alleged victims who say they were abused in Ventura County. Their share of the settlement will depend on the circumstances of their cases. Payment could come by December, said Ray Boucher, lead attorney for the plaintiffs.

The archdiocese, which includes Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, will pay $250 million. Insurers will pay $227 million. Several religious orders will pay $60 million. About $123 million will come from litigation with a handful of orders that decided not to be part of the settlement; the archdiocese is guaranteeing payment of that money.

The numbers dwarf other clergy abuse settlements including $100 million paid by the Diocese of Orange County in 2004 and $84 million the Boston Archdiocese paid in 2003.

But some alleged victims struggled with accepting the settlement, said Ron Bamieh, a Ventura lawyer. He represents two brothers who say they were molested by the Rev. Carl Sutphin at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo in the 1970s and '80s.

They had to fight the archdiocese continuously to keep the lawsuit alive, said Bamieh, who also represents The Ventura County Star.

"They were very angry. They wanted their day in court," he said, noting they relived their abuse every time the case was discussed. Finally, they decided to settle.

"They believe the best thing for them at this time would be closure," Bamieh said.

John Enriquez feels conflicted too. The 38-year-old county resident is one of more than 20 altar boys who say they were abused by the Rev. Fidencio Silva at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Oxnard.

He's enraged at what he sees as the failure of church leaders, including Cardinal Roger Mahony, to reveal the truth of what happened.

The money he'll receive will allow him to provide for his three children, ages 8, 9 and 17, in a way he never thought possible. He praised the efforts of his lawyers but also said he wanted more than money.

"It's half of a victory," he said. "Mahony's still there. ... I wanted them to kick out Mahony."

Outsiders characterize the feelings of many alleged victims as revenge. That's not quite right, Enriquez said.

"I wouldn't say revenge. I'd say accountability," he said. "There was no accountability. The church just opened up their checkbook."

At a news conference on Sunday, the cardinal offered an apology. "It is the shared hope of everyone in our local church that these victims, many of whom suffered in silence for decades, may find a measure of healing and some sense of closure with today's announcement," he said.

And Sargent, who now lives in Washington state, sees the settlement as both an ending and a beginning.

"Seeing the settlement and the end of the litigation, it begins to end the sense of hostility and betrayal between me and the church that said to me I don't care. I don't believe you,' " she said.

In his statement, Mahony said the settlement will bring painful financial consequences and will include a re-evaluation of all archdiocese ministries and services, though parishes and schools will be protected. He said "nonessential properties" will be sold.

St. John's Seminary in Camarillo won't be jeopardized, said the school's rector Monsignor Craig Cox. The archdiocese plans to sell 60 acres of seminary land to a developer. But that money may have to go toward seminary operations, according to a stipulation from the previous owner.

The archdiocese owns ample property in Ventura County, including 80 acres of farmland near Moorpark College and an office building in Ventura.

Boucher, who negotiated the settlement with the archdiocese, said he thinks the payout will affect administrative services more than daily operations.

"It's certainly not anywhere close to fatal," he said, "but it will cut deep."

Joseph Claude Harris, a Seattle consultant who has studied Catholic Church finances, said it's hard to predict the impact without a detailed account of all assets.

But, he said, it's possible, even probable, the archdiocese could survive without closing any parishes or schools.

He said the closures in Boston were brought about more by a priest shortage and demographic shifts than the church abuse settlement.

- Columnist Colleen Cason and The Associated Press contributed to this report.