Law acknowledges "terrible evil" of sexual abuse at Mass

BOSTON (AP) _ Cardinal Bernard Law acknowledged Sunday that some of his decisions regarding priests were wrong, and said he has a ``far deeper awareness of this terrible evil'' of clergy sexual

Sunday, November 3rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) _ Cardinal Bernard Law acknowledged Sunday that some of his decisions regarding priests were wrong, and said he has a ``far deeper awareness of this terrible evil'' of clergy sexual abuse than he did ten months ago, when the scandal first broke.

Victims of abuse, with whom Law recently met, urged him to speak out more publicly and frequently. He agreed, saying at Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross that he was trying to ``honor the spirit'' of that meeting.

``As I have listened personally to the stories of men and women who have endured such abuse, I have learned that some of these consequences include lifelong struggles with alcohol and drug abuse, depression, difficulty in maintaining relationships and, sadly, suicide,'' he said.

``I acknowledge my own responsibility for decisions which led to intense suffering.''

Law has recently emerged from virtual seclusion, meeting this past week with a group of alleged sexual abuse victims of the late Rev. Joseph Birmingham.

That meeting came shortly after archdiocese officials met with leaders of Catholic reform group Voice of the Faithful, whom Law has largely shunned. The group later said Law will meet privately with them in the future.

Law said Sunday he never meant to assign priests to positions where they could endanger children, but ``the fact of the matter remains that I did assign priests who had committed sexual abuse,'' he said in his comments, copies of which the archdiocese provided to the media.

He recounted that several positive experiences in his life were influenced by priests in whom he placed a deep trust.

``One of the insidious consequences of the sexual abuse of a child by a priest is the rupturing of that sacred trust,'' he said. ``For some victim-survivors, not only is it difficult to trust priests again, but the Church herself is mistrusted.''

Victims' advocates said the statement and acknowledgment were long overdue and praised him for making them, but still expressed skepticism.

``I would say I am cautiously optimistic about his change of heart, but thus far, his actions have not seemed consistent,'' said Bill Gately, co-coordinator of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests New England chapter.

``If he was that concerned with helping and protecting the victims, he would have cooperated more,'' Gately said, referring to the archdiocese' reluctance to release documents to victims' attorneys relating to accused priests.

Mike Emerton, spokesman for Voice of the Faithful, said he still holds Law accountable for his lack of action over the past two decades when he moved accused priests from parish to parish.

``In light of his statement, we must ask ourselves _ why did it take him two decades and ten months to come clean in his role in the cover-up?'' he said.

Emerton also said the Voice of the Faithful is calling on all American bishops to follow Law's example of meeting with victims and addressing their possible role in the scandal.