Boston church gets new leader

Bishop O'Malley has much damage to repair

Pope John Paul II has named Bishop Sean Patrick O'Malley to lead the Boston archdiocese, filling the void left by the church's disgraced cardinal.

Bishop O'Malley, 59, is a recognised leader in the battle against clerical sex abuse into the epicentre of the worst scandal to rock the Catholic Church in the United States.

He succeeds Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned amid public outrage in December amid accusations that he covered up paedophilia by Roman Catholic priests in his diocese.

No one person can magically undo the horrific pain so many in this archdiocese feel

Ann Hagen Webb, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

The new archbishop gained national attention for cracking down on sex abuse in his two previous assignments, establishing tough new procedures for preventing abuse in Fall River, Massachusetts, and then taking over the Palm Beach diocese after two previous bishops were implicated in sex scandals.

The Vatican announced O'Malley's appointment in its daily bulletin. It also named his successor in Palm Beach, Bishop Gerald Barbarito, currently bishop of Ogdensburg, New York.

Praise and pain

The lay victims group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said it welcomed O'Malley and would work with him, but stressed that "no one person can magically undo the horrific pain so many in this archdiocese feel."

"He did lead the Fall River diocese in the aftermath of serial predator priest James Porter. But one case does not make a track record," said Ann Hagen Webb, New England co-ordinator of the group.

"There could never be a better person in the country to have this job and to try to bring about real healing in the Archdiocese of Boston," said attorney Roderick MacLeish, who represented 101 of Porter's victims.

He's good public relations, but he's not really going to solve the problem

Frank Fitzpatrick, victim of James Porter

One of Porter's victims said he hadn't been satisfied with his dealings with O'Malley.

"He's slick. He's good public relations. But as far as deep inside, he's not really going to solve the problem," said Frank Fitzpatrick.

"The reason is, he's just there to quiet things down."

In Palm Beach, where two prior bishops admitted they were guilty of sexual abuse, O'Malley immediately apologised to victims and took immediate steps to crack down on abuse.

In Boston, however, he will likely find his greatest challenge.