Cardinal addresses crisis

BOSTON -- The Vatican needs to understand that the clergy sexual abuse scandal in America is "a very serious issue undermining the mission of the church," Cardinal Bernard Law told parishioners Sunday as he and the nation's other cardinals prepared for a rare meeting this week at the Vatican. \n"Some have likened the situation…to last year's Sept. 11 tragedy, a crisis which shocks the heart and soul and which must spark immediate and decisive changes in order to prevent possible recurrence in the future," Law said. \nThe Roman Catholic cardinals of New York, Baltimore, Miami and Detroit had messages of encouragement and explanation read or played to their congregations Sunday. \nCardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C., spoke on television about his disappointment in letting down faithful Catholics, his pain over the tarnishing of the church's image and its good works and his hopes for the meeting in Rome, saying it should give Pope John Paul II the chance to convey his concern for the victims. \nThe pope also discussed troubles confronting the church. Speaking to Nigerian bishops about the church's need to safeguard celibacy, the pope said bishops are obliged to investigate and take action against churchmen engaged in scandalous behavior. \n"Behavior which might give scandal must be carefully avoided, and you yourselves must diligently investigate accusations of any such behavior, taking firm steps to correct it where it is found to exist," he said. \nWhen they meet with the pope and other Vatican officials Tuesday and Wednesday, the cardinals will be looking for guidance and backing on a wide range of issues, including whether the church should ever consider reassigning sex offenders and creating a policy for reporting abuse claims to police.\nMcCarrick said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he supports creating a uniform policy for handling sex abuse allegations in all U.S. Catholic dioceses. \nThe latest sexual abuse controversy began in January, when published reports disclosed that Law and other church leaders had reassigned a priest accused of pedophilia. The now-defrocked priest, John Geoghan, was convicted this year of fondling a boy at a swimming pool and has been accused of molesting dozens of others. \nLaw, in his first public appearance Sunday since Easter, acknowledged criticism of his dealing with priests accused of sexual abuse, at least two of whom were moved from parish to parish despite the allegations. \n"Despite the anger and broken trust that many feel toward me, and despite perceptions that next week is simply a gathering of aged conservative cardinals and Vatican officials, please know that as long as I am in position to do so, I will work tirelessly to address this crisis and to underscore its severity," Law said. \n"This is a wake-up call for the church." \nLaw's remarks were met with applause inside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, but outside, about three dozen protesters continued a call for his resignation. Sunday afternoon, he stepped onto a plane bound for Rome. \nTwelve of the 13 U.S. cardinals are expected to meet with the pope this week. \nIn New York, parishioners were read a letter from Cardinal Edward Egan in which he said he apologized "if, in hindsight," he had made any mistakes in handling sex abuse cases involving priests. \n"I will do everything in my power to ensure, as much as is humanly possible, that such abuse by clergy will never happen again," Egan wrote. "You should expect nothing less of me, and the leaders of our church." \nCardinal William Keeler of Baltimore asked his parishioners to help make church officials aware of allegations of wrongdoing by priests.\n"We are committed to vigilance with your assistance," he said. "If you are aware of instances of wrongdoing, please let us know." \nMiami Archbishop John C. Favalora assured Miami-Dade and Broward County parishioners Sunday that there is no active priest in his archdiocese who is the subject of a credible allegation of sexual misconduct.