Many dioceses appear to have been anticipating this for many years and have no doubt taken steps to shield their assets from lawsuits and I'm sure already have a well planned bankruptcy strategy.

I'm just not all that optimistic the thousands of lives the RCC has ruined with their culture of child rape will ever see anything approaching just compensation, nor will the RCC be significantly affected by it.

The RCC has an enormous stash of wealth, spread throughout the world. It is truly criminal how they have managed to hide such vast sums of wealth. It's not just cash, it's jewels, artworks, antiquities, real estate, corporations, and IP licenses. Because of this, (of course) they have plenty of funds for attorneys. Be prepared for a case that will extend well into the next century, long after the earth is no longer habitable.

It's not fair. It has never been fair. It has abused children for centuries and covered it up. The RCC has never been fair.

There is no cure for the lives destroyed by child rape. But billions in settlements is a pretty good incentive for the RCC to end their culture of child rape. Nothing else seems to have had much of an effect, especially when so many are still providing them with the funds needed to harbor and protect their child rapists.

have done nothing to prevent a long, long history of child sexual abuse. It appears to be endemic in the organization.

I doubt that monetary damages will change that, but they might force the RCC to go away, which would be OK with me.

When convicted child rapist George Pell is still on the RCC payroll and is still being defended by the pope, you can be assured they have no intention of changing until it becomes completely financially untenable.

of continuing to operate. But $4 billion won't get the job done, I'm afraid. When I start seeing them selling masterpieces from the Vatican, I'll know the campaign is a success.