The U.S. Catholic church has incurred nearly $4 billion in costs related to the priest sex abuse crisis during the past 65 years, according to an extensive NCR (National Catholic Reporter) investigation of media reports, databases and church documents.

“In addition, separate research recently published calculates that other scandal-related consequences such as lost membership and diverted giving has cost the church more than $2.3 billion annually for the past 30 years.

“Between 1950 and August of this year, the church has paid out $3,994,797,060.10, NCR found.”

By Jack Ruhl and Diane Ruhl, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story. NCR also has editorialized on this topic, and the editorial, “The deep, lasting financial cost of sex abuse,” can be read by clicking here.