Tuesday, October 27, 2026Memphis · 74°/52°, TennesseeEst. 2026
Markets · loading
Ideas
Religion & Philosophy
Al Jazeera
New York Archdiocese agrees to $800 million abuse settlement with 1,300 claimants
Deal, second-largest ever for a U.S. Catholic diocese, would end seven years of litigation and avert a bankruptcy filing
NEW YORK — The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to pay $800 million to resolve the claims of about 1,300 people who say clergy or church staff sexually abused them. Archbishop Ronald Hicks confirmed the deal in an Oct. 24 email to priests. Plaintiffs' lawyers say every claimant agreed, which the framework announced in May required. Signing is expected the week of Nov. 6. Claimants may take a flat $250,000 or have a neutral allocator value their individual claims. The archdiocese must also publish and update a list of credibly accused clergy and eventually open previously sealed priest files in a database. Survivors will share in any recovery from the archdiocese's coverage suit against its insurer Chubb. Attorneys say the deal avoids a Chapter 11 filing. Only the Los Angeles archdiocese's $880 million settlement in 2024 was larger.
Why it mattersThe settlement shows how state look-back laws are forcing the largest U.S. dioceses to liquidate property and open their records.
Supreme Court to hear Catholic preschools' challenge to Colorado anti-bias rule Nov. 3
Case could reopen a 1990 precedent on religious exemptions; a second church-zoning case is also on the docket
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will hear argument Nov. 3 in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy. Two Catholic parish preschools and the Archdiocese of Denver are challenging a condition of Colorado's universal preschool program. Participating schools must give children an equal chance to enroll regardless of religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. The parishes say their faith requires them to weigh a family's sexual orientation and gender identity in admissions. The Tenth Circuit upheld the rule as neutral and generally applicable under Employment Division v. Smith. The justices accepted two questions: what a challenger must show to prove a law is not generally applicable, and whether Carson v. Makin displaces Smith in funding disputes. Colorado says it funds religious preschools that follow the rule. A SCOTUSblog analysis expects the conservative justices may use the case to widen free-exercise protection. Separately, on Oct. 1 the Court took up a Kentucky church's bid to build a Marian shrine despite local zoning limits.
Why it mattersA ruling could redefine how far religious institutions can claim exemptions from anti-discrimination conditions on public money.
Pope Leo and King Charles exchange honorary titles, first such swap in 500 years
Windsor chapel names pontiff 'Papal Confrater' a year after the king's Roman honor
WINDSOR — On Oct. 23, the Dean and Canons of Windsor announced that Pope Leo XIV has become Papal Confrater of the College of St George at St George's Chapel. The appointment had the approval of King Charles III and the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It reciprocates the title Royal Confrater of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, which the king received during his October 2025 state visit to the Vatican. The announcement describes the exchange as the first of its kind since the Reformation. It also calls the titles a sign of ecumenical friendship. Two commissioned chairs mark the honors. The king's chair is already in Rome, and the pope's will be unveiled at Windsor later. Later this autumn, Charles is due to attend a Windsor service to dedicate a mosaic icon of Christ the Pope gave him.
Why it mattersThe exchange is a symbolic step in Catholic–Anglican relations, which have been strained since the break under Henry VIII.
