Attorneys for alleged victims of a priest convicted of molesting children said Friday that they were continuing to try to find out what Cardinal Bernard Law knew about the abuse and when.
NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that Law answered questions on the second day of a deposition in a civil lawsuit filed against Law and the Boston Archdiocese by 86 alleged victims of defrocked priest John Geoghan. Attorneys said that they continued their previous lines of questioning from Wednesday.
"We're continuing our two-track approach of asking about the financial council, the settlement agreement and the other track being of course his relationship, his participation, his negligence involving Father John J. Geoghan throughout the years," attorney Mitchell Garabedian said.
Alleged victim Patrick McSorley attended the deposition Friday morning and said that he had an emotional meeting with Law.
"He went to shake my hand, and I said, 'I'm sorry. I'm in a bad way right now. I cannot shake your hand," McSorley said. "He just looked at me. He pretty much understood where I was coming from. He sat down."
Wednesday, Law said that he did not recall receiving a letter in 1984 from the mother of an alleged victim accusing Geoghan of molesting her son. Law acknowledged that his handwriting was on the letter's envelope, apparently asking Bishop John Daily to look into the incident.
"It's obvious that he was lying," McSorley said. "How could you not remember an urgent letter being sent to you saying that someone's child was molested and then pass it on to someone else and forget about the whole thing? I mean, that just sickens me."
Victims' attorney Michael O'Donnell said that the questioning Friday morning focused on how Law and the archdiocese dealt with Geoghan.
"Basically, the only thing that happened today of any importance was the cardinal was asked after Geoghan was transferred from St. Brendan's in Dorchester to St. Julia's, what management tools he had in place to ensure that the abuse wouldn't happen again, and he responded that the management tool he had in place was the trust and confidence that he put in his subordinates, who were Father Geoghan's superiors," O'Donnell said.
After breaking to allow Law to say Mass, the deposition was scheduled to resume at 2 p.m.