Bishops Say Sex Abuse Claims Top 1,000

WASHINGTON -

Roman Catholic leaders said Friday they received 1,092 new abuse claims against American priests and deacons last year, even after they had already paid more than $800 million in settlements during the long-running crisis over predatory clergy.

Bishops said, however, that the flood of fresh allegations was not a sign abuse was rampant in parishes today. Most of the alleged incidents occurred decades ago and nearly three-quarters of the 756 accused clerics had died, been defrocked or been removed from public ministry before the claims were made in 2004, church leaders said.

Still, the financial fallout continues. Kathleen McChesney, head of the bishops' Office of Child and Youth Protection, said the total payout to victims has now climbed to at least $840 million since 1950.

'The crisis of sexual abuse of minors within the Catholic Church is not over,' McChesney said. 'What is over is the denial that this problem exists.'"

Read the article at Yahoo! News dated Feb 18, 2005