NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups .

The churchs haul may have reached or even exceeded $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in the U.S. governments pandemic relief efforts , an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found.

Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs arent usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into the Paycheck Protection Program , a $659 billion fund created to keep Main Street open and Americans employed.

By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.

The Archdiocese of New York, for example, received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices. Its iconic St. Patricks Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was approved for at least $1 million.