Priests gather in New York, New Hampshire for summit

YONKERS, N.Y. -- In a meeting resembling last week's summit between U.S. cardinals and the pope, New York Cardinal Edward Egan and hundreds of priests gathered Monday to discuss the sex abuse scandal engulfing the U.S. Roman Catholic church.

The Rev. Peter Gavigan from Our Lady of Victory in New York said his "faith and trust" in Egan was renewed following the private, four-hour meeting.

After a 45-minute speech by Egan, some 500 priests broke into small groups. Priests said Egan met with the groups and answered their concerns.

"It was both informational and relational ... the relationship between the priests and the cardinal as bishop was strengthened," Gavigan said. "We priests have been dealing with it, in a sense, on our own. It was necessary to see him face to face."

New York Archdiocese spokesman Joe Zwilling would not say what the priests discussed with Egan.

He said the message was "to let them know what was happening ... they read things, they see things and they don't have an opportunity to ask the cardinal directly what's going on."

Egan had no comment as he arrived at St. Joseph's Seminary. On Sunday, he said priests accused of sexual misconduct would be suspended at least until the allegation is resolved. He also suggested those who suspect abuse should seek out the authorities.

Gavigan also said the church should "listen to the people's pain, listen to their hurt and also listen to their suggestions about how things might be improved."

"I think the wisdom will also come from the people, not just from the top," he said.

New criticism of Law

In Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law came under new criticism for a legal defense that suggests plaintiffs in a lawsuit against him were partly responsible for an allegedly abusive relationship between the Rev. Paul Shanley and a boy.

The alleged abuse began in 1983, when Gregory Ford was 6.

Now 24, Ford and his parents say Law was negligent in overseeing Shanley, who was described in archdiocese personnel documents as a "very sick person" and known as a proponent of sex between men and boys even as he was shuffled from job to job by church officials.

In a six-page response to the lawsuit, an attorney for Law said "the negligence of the plaintiffs contributed to cause the injury or damage."

That drew outrage from the Fords and their attorney, Roderick MacLeish, who said there is "not a shred of evidence" to support the claim that Gregory Ford or his parents were responsible for Shanley's behavior.

Gregory Ford's father, Rodney Ford, called the response "a disgrace."

"They want to blame me and my wife for something that happened to my 6-year-old son," he said. "I'm ashamed to call myself a Catholic."

Suffolk University law professor Rosanna Cavallaro called the legal language in the response "boilerplate" and said it would be unusual for an attorney not to raise every defense available. The archdiocese did not return calls to comment Monday.

Shanley, 71, whose last known address is in San Diego, has issued no public statements since the case began.