Relief, prayers and some sadness at Law’s resignation
"Thank heaven," said David Clohessy, director of the national group Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "I hope there will be thousands of Boston Catholics and hundreds of Boston survivors who will feel better as a result." Cardinal Law's resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II yesterday after nearly a year of almost daily revelations about priests accused of sexually abusing children over decades and the Church officials who covered it up. While he will no longer serve as archbishop, he remains a cardinal, which means he could move into another Church post.
The sex abuse crisis that erupted in Boston spread to dioceses across the US as thousands of allegations of abuse by clergy surfaced and hundreds of lawsuits were filed. While many victims had been strident in their criticism of Cardinal Law and had called for his resignation months ago, some were subdued in their reaction when the moment came.
