$660 million for L.A. Catholic sex crimes

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed Monday to a further payment of 660,000,000 dollars to settle lawsuits by 508 individuals who alleged they had been sexually abused by Catholic priests. Previously the Church had paid out $114 million to settle 86 abuse claims. Amazingly, the Church has absorbed this bill without impacting it's central activities:

In the $660 million Los Angeles deal -- easily the largest payout yet in the crisis -- Cardinal Roger Mahony said the settlement will not have an impact on local ministries. He said he won't sell parish properties or schools to cover the cost, but the archdiocese will have to sell buildings, use some of its invested funds and borrow money.

The Los Angeles archdiocese will pay $250 million, insurers will pay $227 million and religious orders will chip in $60 million. The remaining $123 million will come from litigation with religious orders that chose not to participate in the deal, which a California judge approved Monday.