Catholic Church Abuse Settlement Costs Pass $1 Billion Mark

The Catholic Church spent over $1 billion to cover costs related to clergy sexual abuse in the past 50 years, and is likely to spend more on the hundreds of still unsettled claims.

According to a tally by the Associated Press and American Catholic bishops, the total amount spent on clergy abuse settlements is at $1.06 billion. Of the billion more than a third - about $378 - was spent in just the past three years since the sexual abuse scandal erupted in the Boston Archdiocese in 2002.

According to CNN, a $120 million compensation fund announced last week by the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, pushed the total past the billion-dollar-mark.

The money covered the costs of settlements with victims, legal fees, counseling and other expenses.