Law Admits to Receiving 1984 Warning on Geoghan
By David Weber
Originally published in The Boston Herald, July 17, 2001
Bernard Cardinal Law has acknowledged for the first time that he received a letter in late 1984 outlining allegations the Rev. John J. Geoghan had molested young boys, according to filings in a lawsuit brought by one of Geoghan's many alleged victims.
Law allowed Geoghan to remain an active priest until 1993, prompting alleged victim Patrick McSorley to ask why.
"He (Law) should have been more responsible and taken Geoghan off the streets. He should have taken care of the situation immediately," said McSorley, who claims Geoghan molested him in 1986 when he was 12 years old.
McSorley's attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, said, "The public record now indicates that Father Geoghan was transferred to St. Julia's Church in Weston from 1985 to 1993 even though Cardinal Law now admits that he was notified about allegations involving Father Geoghan and seven boys."
Law's admission is contained in answers to McSorley' amended court complaint that were filed by Catholic archdiocese attorneys within the last month.
"(Law) admits that in September of 1984, he was notified of allegations that defendant Father Geoghan had molested seven boys," the cardinal's lawyers wrote in response to specific allegations from McSorley. "(Law) admits that he acknowledged receipt of the September 1984 letter to him referencing allegations of sexual misconduct by John Geoghan."
Geoghan was a priest at St. Brendan's parish in Dorchester when Law was notified about the allegations involving the seven boys. Shortly thereafter, Law admits, he placed Geoghan in the category of "in between assignments" upon the recommendation of Bishop Thomas V. Daily, who later became the head of the Brooklyn, N.Y., diocese.
Garabedian said a "confidentiality order" imposed by former Superior Court Judge James McHugh prohibits him from discussing the contents or the author of the 1984 letter received by Law.
Law's official court responses also state clearly that he had "no personal knowledge" of whether the charges contained in the letter were true. The cardinal said the allegations would have to be proved at a trial.
Boston archdiocese officials referred all questions from the Herald yesterday to the Rogers Law Firm of Boston. Wilson Rogers III, who is handling this matter for the church, was out of the office and could not be reached, according to his secretary.
McSorley also said he objected to legal language in Law's filing, which stated, "the plaintiff (McSorley) was not in the exercise of due care, but rather the negligence of the plaintiff contributed to cause the injury or damage complained of . . ."
McSorley, now 27 and living in Hyde Park, said, "What it's saying is that I should have taken responsibility for what happened. I was just a 12-year-old kid. I didn't know (Geoghan) was a pedophile. I didn't even know this man. I don't understand why I should be held responsible like I seduced the priest."
Garabedian, who represents 24 others who have filed lawsuits against Geoghan and church officials, said archdiocese lawyers similarly said each of the alleged molestation victims was at least partly responsible.
Geoghan, 65, of Scituate, was officially defrocked by Law in 1998. He is the object of at least 84 lawsuits from men charging that he molested them during his years as an active priest in six archdiocese parishes between 1962 and 1995.
In addition, he is a defendant in a criminal prosecution by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. He faces charges of rape and indecent assault and battery and has a tentative trial date of Sept. 7.
McSorley said Geoghan victimized him in 1986, shortly after the boy's father had died. He said Geoghan knew his family from his time at St. Andrew's parish in Jamaica Plain and happened to run into McSorley's older sister at a Dunkin' Donuts.
McSorley said the priest inquired how the family was doing and was told their father had recently died. That prompted Geoghan to drop by the McSorley household and offer to take Patrick out for an ice cream, according to McSorley, who said he had never met Geoghan before that. He said Geoghan fondled his genitals in the car after buying the ice cream.
