MEDWAY, Mass., Oct. 22 (AP) — Cardinal Bernard F. Law met with several hundred priests today to listen to their concerns about the sexual abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston and offer his guidance and support.
It was first major meeting between Cardinal Law and the priests in more than six months.
The priests' organization, the Boston Priests' Forum, has sought for months to meet with the cardinal, complaining of low morale among the archdiocese's 900 priests after the abuse scandal began in January.
"They are exercising their ministry under a very heavy burden," Cardinal Law said of the priests after today's meeting, "and that burden is the effect of the terrible crime and sin of the sexual abuse of children."
Most of the roughly 300 priests left the meeting without talking to reporters, who were not allowed inside and who were asked not to approach departing priests. A similar meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.