The Diocese of Oakland, California, has announced it will pay up to $200 million to settle hundreds of abuse claims filed against it.

Diocese said in a Friday update on its website that it has filed a proposal in bankruptcy court that would create a survivor trust “to provide compensation of approximately $160 million to $198 million or more for approximately 345 claims.”

Just over $100 million will be provided directly by the diocese, the announcement said, while up to $81 million would come from properties in the diocesan real estate portfolio.

Additionally, $14.25 million was reportedly contributed by the “Roman Catholic Community Service Corporation/Schools” (RCWC) along with “possible cash contributions from other entities.”

Diocese filed for bankruptcy last May after hundreds of child sexual abuse lawsuits were filed under a three-year legal window implemented by the California state government.

The rule, passed by the state Legislature in 2019, granted a three-year exemption from the statute of limitations in child sexual abuse lawsuits.

Oakland Bishop Michael Barber said last year at the time of the filing that the diocese would be “challenged to put aside our personal preferences and work together for the good of the entire community and for the future of our beloved Church.”

The bishop this week said the trial was an “extremely difficult challenge” but that the diocese sought to “honor our obligation to survivors.”

“We recognize that no amount of money can fully and satisfactorily compensate survivors for the abuse they suffered,” he said. “With this in mind, we believe the plan compensates the survivors in a fair and equitable manner and allows the Diocese of Oakland to pave the way forward to continue spreading the Gospel, serving the faithful and the poor.”

In the official files, the diocese said it would contribute $63 million in cash to the trust initially, followed by $10 million a year for four years after that. RCWC would contribute additional amounts.

Some lawyers criticized the proposal. Dan McNevin, volunteer at the Priest Abuse Survivors Network, local ABC affiliate KGO-TV told that the proposed settlement was “pretty pathetic” and “pretty low”.

“This is a really, really rich diocese and there (are) a lot of victims,” ​​he argued. “… They have 82 parishes. We think they have between $3 billion and $4 billion in real estate.”

Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents abuse survivors in several states, including California, argument that the plan was a “shell game” and a “scam and scam.”

“The bishop’s reorganization plan is a familiar playbook designed to suppress the voices of survivors and avoid accountability,” Anderson argued, arguing that the diocese is “trying to force a plan on survivors without their approval or consent.”

Meanwhile, in its filing, the diocese said “abuse of children and vulnerable adults does not occur in the Diocese of Oakland, specifically, or the Roman Catholic Church, in general.”

The diocese “will do everything in its power to prevent such abuse,” it said.