New Delhi, March 31 -- Spain's Catholic bishops and the Spanish government took another step Monday toward compensating victims of sexual abuse by clergy members who have died or whose possible crimes are too old to be prosecuted.

In January, Spain's Catholic bishops agreed to let the country's ombudsman have the final say in the church's compensation of such victims. The government and Spain's bishops signed paperwork Monday detailing how the new church-state reparation system, which takes effect April 15, would work.

The agreement, which envisages a one-year window for claims, marks a rare concession by the Catholic hierarchy. It's aimed at resolving disagreements between the left-wing government and church authorities over reparation...