Can money heal sex-abuse wounds? Catholics ask

BOSTON (Reuters) - America's Roman Catholics applauded a $660 million settlement with sexual-abuse victims in Los Angeles but said no amount of money can heal the wounds.

A day after more than 500 people who say they were abused by clergy members agreed to settle lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for about $1 million each, many U.S. Catholics expressed concern on Sunday over the church's struggle to restore confidence.

"I wish it would go away. Really, I do wish it would go away," said Claire Hogan, 64, as she emerged from Sunday Mass at 136-year-old St. Columbkille's Church in Boston's Brighton neighborhood.

America's pedophile priest scandal first erupted in Boston in 2002 when many leaders of the archdiocese were found to have moved priests who abused minors to new parishes instead of defrocking them or reporting them to authorities.

"There's not any amount of money that can make up for all that," said Jennifer Meadows, 34, a social worker who was raised as a Catholic but no longer practices.

At St. Dominic Church in the Los Angeles district of Eagle Rock, Del Sipin, 64, said she was pleased. "We are all happy. I don't think the higher-ups would cover them up. The wrong has to be corrected."

At the same church, Juan Samayoa, 65, said he wasn't aware of the settlement but thought the amount was excessive. "Money can't buy happiness," he said.

After emerging in Boston, the scandal spread to almost every U.S. Catholic diocese. It led to dozens of lawsuits, millions of dollars in payments to victims and the defrocking, resignation and jailing of priests.

Bob Buchanan, 56, a Boston Catholic, said he believed the Catholic Church was working to atone for its abuses.

For example, a top Vatican clergyman, Father Raniero Cantalamessa who is the only man allowed to preach to Pope Benedict, told the pontiff in December he should call a worldwide day of fasting and penitence to ask forgiveness for the priestly sexual-abuse scandals.

"They screwed up but they are in the forgiving business, so I can understand this settlement," said Buchanan.

'NOT ABOUT THE MONEY'

The Los Angeles settlement dwarfs $85 million agreed in 2003 for 550 claims by the Archdiocese of Boston. That translated into about $150,000 for each Boston victim.

"In California, maybe that amount of money can change lives. In Massachusetts, nobody got an amount of money that would change their lives significantly," said lawyer Carmen Durso, who has represented Boston abuse victims.

"I know people who got money who just put the money aside and didn't do anything. They didn't touch it. I know people who ripped through the money in a very short time and their lives ended up very much the same as before, and I know people who committed suicide after they got their money," he said.

"It's not about the money. It's about the lives they lost, and it should be $1 billion and it still can't bring their lives back."

Durso said the settlement was nevertheless important because it focuses attention on widespread sexual-abuse of children in the United States.

"It also focuses attention on the Church and says that eventually you'll be punished for what you did so you better do the right thing," he said.

The Los Angeles settlement far exceeded those in Boston in part because Los Angeles juries have a reputation for seeking higher damages, he said. California also suspended for a year a statute of limitations on sexual crimes against children, allowing more cases.

(Additional reporting by Mary Milliken in Los Angeles)