MADRID – Spain’s Catholic Church, reeling from a

, agreed with the government on Jan 8 to compensate victims of abuse whose cases have expired under the statute of limitations or where the perpetrator has died.

“Today we are settling a debt and doing justice to the victims. We are moving from decades of silence and oblivion to fair reparation paid by the Church,” Justice Minister Felix Bolanos said of the deal signed by his ministry and the Church.