By Associated Press, 10/23/02

| 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.

ARLINGTON, Mass. -- Cardinal Bernard Law said Wednesday that he considered resigning because of the Roman Catholic church's sexual abuse scandal.

Law, who has come under intense criticism since the scandal erupted in Boston in January for allegedly failing to remove sexually abusive priests, has said repeatedly that he felt it was his duty to stay on and he would not "walk away" from the controversy.

Law, meeting with hundreds of Boston Archdiocese priests for the second consecutive day Wednesday, was asked to consider resignation, said the Rev. Robert Bullock, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Sharon, and head of a priests group that has been critical of Law's leadership.

But while Law insisted he would stay on, he did acknowledge that he had considered stepping down.

"I indicated that it would not take a rocket scientist to realize that that is an option that someone in my circumstances over the past 10 months would need to have considered, and I did consider that," Law said.

Law said in April following a meeting with Pope John Paul II that he raised the possibility of resigning, but came away determined to stay on and repair the damage to the archdiocese.

"He's here and that's a fact and that's what we've got to work with," said Bullock, who attended Wednesday's meeting and came away feeling optimistic about "a kind of new relationship with ..." Law.

Law met behind closed doors with about 400 priests at St. Camillus in Arlington. He met with about 300 priests in Medway on Tuesday.

The meeting was wide-ranging and sometimes emotional, priests said.

"Today was a very important meeting, and it was also in many ways a painful meeting, because many of the men were able to express the pain that they feel, first of all for the victims and their families," said the Rev. Richard Clancey, the archdiocese's director of campus ministry.

As they had Tuesday, priests brought up the question of due process for priests who face abuse allegations.

Law and the priests also discussed relations with the lay reform group Voice of the Faithful.

Law said he intended to meet with the group's leadership soon, Bullock said.