By Robert O'Neill, Associated Press, 10/22/02

| Complete coverage |  AG'S REPORT Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly released the results of a 16-month investigation into clergy sex abuse in the Boston archdiocese. Download report [PDF, 1.4 MB] (File requires Adobe Acrobat)  TODAY'S GLOBE A new leader reaches out 3 faces in crowd bound in hopeh At BC, students watch with awe O'Malley's homily reveals frank man Near cathedral, voices of protest 'Good priests' moved to tears Text of Archbishop O'Malley's homily Sandwiches, chips were bill of fare An angry protest, and prayers  GRAPHICS The moment of installation Viewer's guide Ceremony TV coverage  Processional O'Malley's vestments O'Malley's coat of arms Cathedral of the Holy Cross  REALVIDEO | NECN.com | Help with video | O'Malley to be installed today Great expectations of O'Malley Video clips require RealPlayer and Windows 98 or higher.  INTERACTIVE FEATURE An interactive timeline of the developing church crisis, featuring photos and audio.   View timeline  IN-DEPTH Boston's new archbishop Bishop Sean Patrick O'Malley has been chosen to succeed Cardinal Law as leader of the archdiocese. Reaction to O'Malley appointment Accused priests are vindicated Three priests have been exonerated after being suspended from their posts over abuse allegations.  CARDINAL BERNARD LAW Coverage of his resignation Career timeline: Priest to cardinal Changing statements on abuse Coverage of his tenure in Boston Photos: Law through the years Boston.com readers' comments  CONTACT SPOTLIGHT If you have information on child abuse by priests, call (617) 929-3208 Or leave a confidential message at this number (617) 929-7483 The Spotlight Team e-mail address is spotlight@globe.com.

MEDWAY, Mass. -- Cardinal Bernard Law reached out to hundreds of priests on Tuesday to offer his support and to listen to their concerns about the ongoing sexual abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston.

After the gathering, the first such major meeting between Law and the priests in over six months, Law said that the meeting was "an opportunity for me to be with my brother priests."

"They are exercising their ministry under a very heavy burden, and that burden is the effect of the terrible crime and sin of the sexual abuse of children," he said.

Law spoke to the press after the meeting broke at about 3 p.m. Most of the roughly 300 priests left the community center at St. Joseph's Parish in Medway without addressing reporters, who were not allowed in to the meeting and were asked not to approach departing priests. A second meeting was scheduled for Wednesday at St. Camillus Parish in Arlington.

The Boston Priests' Forum, a clergy group, has sought a meeting with Law for months, complaining of low morale among the archdiocese's 900 priests following the outbreak of the abuse scandal in January.

"I think that we, bishops and priests, should look for ways to rebuild trust and confidence," said the Rev. Robert Bullock, pastor at Our Lady of Sorrows in Sharon, and head of the Boston Priests' Forum. "I know it's been shattered."

Bullock, who planned to attend Wednesday's meeting, said he will be looking for "a vote of confidence in his priests" by Law, and would press for due process for priests. Priests have criticized what some have described as the archdiocese's draconian treatment of priests following allegations of abuse.

The meetings comes as the Presbyteral Council, a church advisory group to Law, revises the archdiocesan guidelines for handling sexual abuse.

Law said that when the revisions are done, they will be presented to gatherings of priests such as the one held Tuesday, and said priests were asked to hold off judgment until a final draft had been produced and then offer their input. But he said an initial draft dealing with how an investigation into an allegation will be handled already exceeds 100 pages.

"We respect the person coming forward with the allegation, we respect the priest against whom the allegation is made, and we begin the process of investigation, and we have to show that respect," Law said.

Law said one priest asked "whatever happened to forgiveness?" But Law said priests had to reconcile religious forgiveness with civil responsibilities.

"Even though an individual who has been responsible for a terrible act is totally forgiven by God ... in the public forum that person still may not safely function," Law said.

The Rev. Bill Joy, pastor of St. Angela's Parish in Boston's Mattapan neighborhood, said that it was "good to hear from (Law) personally."

"It's difficult to dialogue with faxes and e-mails, so this meeting was very helpful and supportive for us. It's a good step forward for our archdiocese as we begin to come together, to heal, and to move forward," he said.

The priests also discussed the group Voice of the Faithful, a reform group that started in Wellesley after the scandal erupted, and claims to now have 25,000 members.

Law, whose relationship with the group has been frosty, said he wanted to hear from priests opinions of the group, which recently offered to give the archdiocese $56,000 in donations that Catholics have withheld from the church's major fund-raising appeal. Law says he has not yet personally seen the offer.

"I heard some very positive things with regard to Voice of the Faithful, but to be fair, we also heard some other voices, with priests whose experiences weren't as positive," he said.

Meanwhile, Canadian authorities have set a November 22 court hearing for Paul Desilets, the 78-year-old retired Massachusetts priest who is charged with sexually abusing 18 altar boys during his tenure at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Bellingham from 1974 to 1984.

Desilets was arrested this week in Quebec. The Worcester County District Attorney's office is seeking his extradition from Canada.