Several Pennsylvania dioceses recently announced their plans to provide financial compensation programs for the church’s victims of sexual assault.

The relief programs, announced by several Pennsylvania dioceses including Philadelphia, will compensate victims of Catholic church sexual abuse whose claims have passed the statutes of limitations.

“Money can’t buy back a wounded person’s wholeness,” said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput in a statement, according to The Inquirer. “But what compensation can do is acknowledge the evil done and meaningfully assist survivors as they work to find greater peace in their lives.”

The Philadelphia diocese is not the only group to announce plans for victim compensation. Similar programs have been announced by Pennsylvania dioceses in Pittsburgh, Allentown, Harrisburg, Greensburg, and Scranton.

“The survivors’ compensation program we are working to establish will be designed to create the best opportunity for recovery and healing to survivors,” said Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik told The Inquirer. “They continue to suffer as a result of their abuse and this program will help to provide for their ongoing needs.”

The Altoona-Johnstown diocese has not announced any plans for a compensation fund similar to those announced by other Pennsylvania dioceses but instead released that they had already funneled money into victim relief efforts over the past two decades.

The move by Pennsylvania dioceses to compensate victims of Catholic church sexual abuse seems to be modeled after similar efforts made by five New York dioceses. Over the last two years, these dioceses in New York have paid over $200 million to over 1,000 victims of Catholic church sexual abuse.

Like the New York dioceses, the Pennsylvania dioceses have enlisted the services of mediator Kenneth R. Feinberg. Feinberg previously worked with the 9/11 Victims’ Compensation Fund and oversaw efforts at Pennsylvania State University to settle with the victims of the university’s former assistant football coach.

Feinberg and his business manager will reportedly review claims and determine compensation for the victims. In Philadelphia, Feinberg’s work will be overseen by an independent committee composed of a variety of former Philadelphia officials. Members of the independent committee include former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell; former Philadelphia district attorney Kelley Hodge; and former chief judge for the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Lawrence F. Stengel.

“The dioceses cannot appeal or challenge our rulings on eligibility or amounts of compensation,” Feinberg told The Inquirer.

The details of the relief programs are still in the works, including how much money will be available statewide and where it is coming from. Despite the lack of details, many victims are tentatively pleased with the prospect of recovering some sort of compensation when legal remedies are not an option for them.

However, some victims take issue with the proposed compensation programs. Individuals claim that these programs are simply an attempt to deflate tensions stemming from the debate to open up a temporary window during which older victims could bring their legal claims against Pennsylvania dioceses.

“If I do something wrong, I don’t make my own punishment up,” said Martha M., a sexual assault victim. “Neither should they.”