BOSTON -- Cardinal Bernard Law is being questioned about why the Boston Archdiocese called off a settlement with alleged abuse victims of defrocked priest John Geoghan.

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NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff said that Law will be the first U.S. cardinal to testify in open court in an abuse case.

Law took the stand Friday morning. He is giving his version of the settlement reached between alleged victims and the archdiocese. On March 12, Law and the Boston Archdiocese announced a settlement worth more than $20 million had been reached with 86 alleged victims of Geoghan.

A part of the settlement was read at the hearing Thursday.

"This settlement is an important step in reaching closure for these victims who have long eluded the damage done to them by John Geoghan," archdiocese's lawyer Wilson Rogers said.

But on May 3, the church announced that the agreement was not going to be honored because it was too expensive and because only three of the 17 defendants signed it.

On Thursday, lawyers from both sides took the stand. Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Constance Sweeney found herself refereeing.

"Let's spare everybody a lot of time and say, did you think any of these people were coming up with the $30 million, and let's move along," Sweeney said.

Meanwhile, Friday's Boston Globe reported that advisors with the archdiocese are in discussions with attorneys from a bankruptcy firm in Boston.

NewsCenter 5 will carry the cardinal's testimony live. It's scheduled to begin around 9:30 this morning.