Christian Brothers Australia Granted Moratorium on Abuse Claims

The Supreme Court of NSW granted the Christian Brothers a moratorium on Thursday, suspending all sex abuse claims against the order. The court noted the organisation could run out of money if the claims proceeded. The order had transferred multiple schools to the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia in the years before the moratorium.

The transfers placed land and buildings, reported to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, beyond the reach of compensation claims. The moves occurred shortly before state governments removed the Ellis Defence, which had limited lawsuits against churches.

Pope Leo XIV last month called for listening, truth, justice, reparation and prevention after meeting abuse survivors in Spain. The US-born Pope described his encounters with those wounded by clergy as among his most painful.

A Catholic priest of nearly 60 years wrote that the asset shifts limit survivors' access to compensation. The priest, who established a foundation to support victims, said recognition of harm matters more to survivors than money alone. The same priest noted that the order educated thousands of students over many years. He stated that legal strategies used against survivors undo that record.