IRCP FAQ

On December 13, 2018, Bishop Zubik announced that the Diocese of Pittsburgh was launching an Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) as part of its longstanding efforts to respond to claims of sexual abuse of minors by clergy.  The stated purpose of the fund was to promote healing by providing compensation to victim/survivors of abuse by priests or deacons of the diocese.

The goal was to provide care and healing for those who had been harmed, no matter how long ago that happened. After the grand jury report, many previously unknown claims had come in about abuse that occurred decades ago. The most equitable way to help as many people as possible was to have an independent arbiter evaluate all the claims and make decisions about compensation.

Bishop Zubik announced the fund on December 13, 2018 and it officially opened on January 22, 2019.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh chose the world-renowned mediation firm of the Kenneth Feinberg Law Offices of Washington D.C. to serve as fund administrator. This firm is best known for overseeing the distribution of compensation to victims/survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Many other dioceses also chose the Feinberg firm because of its vast experience in helping victims/survivors.

The Feinberg firm had full independence from the diocese to determine compensation offers to eligible survivors who applied to the IRCP fund. 

Now that Feinberg firm has now processed all claims and has sent determination letters to all claimants, it has completed its commitment to the Diocese of Pittsburgh. 

More than $19 million was distributed among 224 people. Of the 297 eligible claims, 52 claimants rejected their offers and another 21 did not respond to their offers. As part of its protocol, the IRCP is not permitted reveal the identities of people in the program or to say how much compensation any individual received.

Another 70 applicants were deemed ineligible under program rules. Examples would include cases where the accused priest did not belong to the Diocese of Pittsburgh or where the claimant had made a prior settlement with the diocese. Another two people who were accepted into the program withdrew from it. With those 72 added in, the total number of applicants was 369.
 

The total amount distributed among 224 claimants was $19,237,000.  Funding for the IRCP was obtained from a number of sources within the church.  Sources such as the sale of historical assets like the Saint Joseph Protectory, insurance reserves and other means within the Church, including cost cutting measures such as the relocation of Diocesan Pastoral Center out of its downtown properties.  No monies were taken from parishes or schools, from the sale of parish
assets or from Our Campaign for The Church Alive!

Anyone who claimed abuse by a priest or deacon of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and who had not waived their right to participate as part of an earlier settlement, was eligible to apply.

The Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program allowed all claimants to apply at once and for knowledgeable, independent arbiters to decide how all available funds could be most equitably distributed among them.

Applicants were promised confidentiality. Multiple deadline extensions were made for eligible claimants to submit their information, especially in light of the COVID-19 restrictions.  Under IRCP protocols, before accepting any compensation all individuals were required to consult with an attorney to review the documents and make sure they fully understood the agreement.  If the individual claimant did not already have counsel, the fund administrators provided an independent attorney to help them free of charge. 

The Feinberg firm invited all individuals who applied to the IRCP to submit any documentation or corroborating evidence to support their claim. Researchers for the Feinberg firm worked hard to evaluate all claims. All information was maintained by the IRCP in complete confidence and used only to assist the fund administrators in evaluating an applicant’s claim and reaching a fair determination as to compensation. 

The majority of the claims submitted to the IRCP had never been submitted to the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The Feinberg firm worked with  individuals who had previously submitted a complaint of childhood sexual abuse to the diocese, as well as with individuals who had not previously filed one but who chose to register directly with the IRCP fund. 

Yes. The diocese continued its longstanding practice of turning over to the appropriate civil authorities all allegations of childhood sexual abuse it directly receives. It also turned over all new allegations received by the IRCP.

Over 35 years, the Diocese of Pittsburgh has created a multifaceted response to the evil of childhood sexual abuse.  In 1986, it was among the first dioceses in the country to create a policy for responding to allegations of sexual abuse by clergy.  In 1993, the diocese created an Office for Victim Assistance and became one of the first dioceses in the nation to retain a full-time victim assistance coordinator.  In 2007, the Diocese participated in a mediated settlement of 34 claims through a cooperative arrangement with a group of victim/survivors.    

In 2007, upon becoming bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop Zubik established the Office for the Protection of Children and Young People to consolidate diocesan safe environment efforts.  In March of 2019, Bishop Zubik built further on that work with an action plan announced in his pastoral letter, The Church Healing, of which the IRCP was an important part. The Diocese of Pittsburgh will continue to pursue best practices for the prevention of and response to sexual 
abuse.

Along with pledging to maintain the complete independence of the IRCP, Bishop Zubik promised to provide a full disclosure of the activity of the fund at its conclusion.  Originally this was envisioned for January 2020. However, following several extensions of the fund in order to allow claimants to submit all relevant information, especially in light of the constrictions of COVID-19, the IRCP did not complete its work until October 31, 2020.  Also due in part to difficulties created 
by COVID-19, it took several more weeks to review and evaluate all the information for a report. 

For more than 30 years the Diocese of Pittsburgh has set standards for abuse prevention higher than those required by law. 

In 1993 the diocese published its policy for addressing child sexual abuse by clergy. Since 2003 all clergy, staff and most volunteers have been required to undergo background checks and receive child protection training. Also since 2004, children in our schools and religious education programs have been required to receive age-appropriate instruction on how to identify, avoid and report possible predators. As of 2018, more people participated in mandated reporter training for 
child abuse in the Diocese of Pittsburgh than any other institution in the state of Pennsylvania. 

The vast majority of abuse allegations reported to the Diocese of Pittsburgh concern events that occurred prior to 1990. While that represents an enduring tragedy for those victims/survivors, it also demonstrates our longstanding commitment to keeping children safe.