A lot of people were expecting the sex abuse settlement in Los Angeles to be huge. Word today indicates it will be even bigger — and worse — than expected:

Lawyers for more than 500 victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy members say they are on the verge of settling their lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for as much as $650 million.

If completed, it would be the largest payout made by any single diocese since the clergy sexual abuse scandals first became public in Boston in 2002. It would dwarf the $85 million paid for 552 claims by the Archdiocese of Boston.

The lawyers in the Los Angeles cases said the settlement could be announced on or before Monday, when jury selection is set to begin in the first of the cases. But they said many details remained to be settled. Also, any agreement would require a judge’s approval.

Tod M. Tamberg, director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said in an e-mail message that the only comment he could make was, “The archdiocese will be in court Monday at 9:30 a.m.”

A lawyer for the archdiocese did not return calls for comment.

There’s more than enough pain and misery to go around in this nightmare. And it’s far from over. Years ago, visiting the cathedral in Los Angeles, I was struck by one of the side chapels, dedicated to victims of sexual abuse by priests. God only knows how much anguish has been expressed within those walls, or how that kind of pain will ever be healed — in the victims, or in the Church.

All need our prayers, now more than ever.