Sobs and a moment of silence for those who died during years of negotiations punctuated Monday's hearing at which a judge accepted a $660 million settlement between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and plaintiffs who alleged clergy sex abuse.

"This is the right result," said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Haley Fromholz.

The settlement is by far the largest payout by any diocese since the predator-priest scandal emerged in Boston in 2002. Individual payouts to 508 alleged victims, to be made by Dec. 1, will vary according to the severity of each case.