Cardinal Law Apologizes To Bishops

BOSTON -- Boston Cardinal Bernard Law offered a personal apology to fellow bishops at the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops in Dallas on Friday as the group met well into the night on a new clergy sex abuse policy on Friday.

NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Law reportedly apologized late Thursday behind closed doors, with no cameras present. Bishops who were there said Law apologized for his past handling of sex abuse allegations.

His spokeswoman said earlier in the day that Law was planning to make a statement to fellow bishops.

"Just to apologize, that if things that had happened in Boston had caused any further difficulties for the brother bishops in other dioceses he was offering his apology," said Boston archdiocese spokeswoman Donna Morrissey.

Law had been under pressure to apologize to 285 bishops attending the Dallas conference. The nationwide sex abuse scandal began early this year in Boston when defrocked priest John Geoghan went to trial for molesting a boy.

He was convicted and sent to prison, but it was later learned that Law and other church officials had allegedly been shuttling priests accused of abuse between parishes for decades. The revelations prompted a rare Vatican meeting of bishops and this week's move to establish a nationwide church sex abuse policy.

Problems have continued to follow Law to Texas. First, there was a new sex abuse lawsuit stemming from his days as a vicar in Mississippi, then news from San Bernadino, Calif., that former priest Paul Shanley has been accused of abusing a parishioner there.

Law transferred Shanley to California in 1990 saying the priest had a clean record, after years of sex abuse allegations dogged Shanley in Massachusetts. Shanley is awaiting trial in Massachusetts for allegedly abusing a Newton, Mass., boy in the 1980s.

"Cardinal Law extended what our bishop feels is a very sincere and heartfelt apology for what has transpired with Father Shanley," said Rev. Fr. Howard Lincoln of the San Bernadino diocese.

The Dallas conference has been an emotional one. After hearing from more alleged sex abuse victims, the church leaders got to work on their new national policy for handling molestation claims. Instead of the controversial "one-strike" stance, the bishops are said to be close to adopting a "zero strike" policy, which means no second chances for priests accused of abuse.

They are expected to vote on the policy Friday. Two-thirds of the bishops must approve the new policy, which then must go to the Vatican for final authorization.