Cardinal Roger Mahony apologized Sunday to the hundreds of people who claim to have been sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests, acknowledging that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles' $660 million settlement will not buy back their childhood. "There really is no way to go back and give them the innocence that was taken from them ... The one thing I wish I could give the victims, I cannot -- and that is a restoration to where they were originally," Mahony, who leads the largest U.S. archdiocese, told reporters."It should not have happened, and should not ever happen again," he said.
The settlement means the cases will not be tried in court.
Jury selection in the trial had been scheduled to begin Monday, and Mahony was to have been among the first witnesses called. Mahony had met with many of the plaintiffs in sessions he said had "an enormous impact on me."
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