ROME - 10 December 2002 - 213 words

Rome: Boston cardinal in crisis talks

The head of the Catholic Church in Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law, arrived in Rome yesterday, as the crisis in his diocese pressure over his handling of clerical child abuse continues to intensify.

The Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls said at noon: "I can confirm the presence of Cardinal Bernard Francis Law in Rome. The Cardinal has come to inform the Holy See about the different aspects of the situation in Boston."

The Church in Boston is facing more than 400 civil lawsuits over child abuse claims and is threatening to file for bankruptcy.

Last week the Boston Church's finance council voted to allow Cardinal Law to take the archdiocese into bankruptcy, provided he had the Vatican's approval. The move would suspend all civil lawsuits and force claimants to create a single group in a federal court. It would also set a time limit for the filing of new claims.

Vatican approval is needed because the Church's accounts would be opened to public scrutiny.

On Sunday, several hundred people demonstrated outside Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross calling for criminal charges to be brought against the Cardinal.

A group of diocesan priests also wrote to The Boston Globe on Sunday, calling for Cardinal Law's resignation.

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