Law- Abuse settlement was only a proposal

BOSTON -- In his first public court appearance since the sexual abuse scandal erupted here in January, Cardinal Bernard Law insisted Friday that an announced multimillion-dollar settlement with dozens of alleged victims was never final.

As the cardinal's defended the decision to back out of a $15 million to $30 million accord with 86 adults who claim they were molested by former priest John J. Geoghan, church officials here said they might file for bankruptcy if the massive settlements are upheld.

Although the cardinal has been deposed repeatedly in civil lawsuits since the scandal began, those hearings were closed. On Friday the nation's senior Catholic prelate took the stand in open court was forced to read aloud a newspaper article in which he praised the agreement as "an important step in reaching closure."

The cardinal was on the stand for more than two hours on the second day of a hearing to determine if the agreement is binding on the archdiocese.

Under questioning from the attorney representing Geoghan's alleged victims, Law said the settlement was tentative because not all of them had signed off on it. He said the church withdrew from the agreement after financial advisers said the price was too steep -- and because many other alleged victims who had stepped forward would expect comparable compensation.

Geoghan was convicted of one count of child abuse in January, and is serving a nine-to-10-year prison sentence.