O’Malley must regain trust

It is a critical time for Cardinal Sean O’Malley and he needs to reassure Catholics and the community at large that we’re not headed for a replay of the 2002 Catholic priest sex-scandal nightmare.

O’Malley is facing accusations of ignoring a priest’s letter that warned him three years ago about allegations of sexual misconduct against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, 88. O’Malley issued a statement saying he never got a letter and claimed it was an oversight by his secretary.

Though he claims that he missed the McCarrick situation due to a clerical error, the author of the letter, Father Boniface Ramsey, contends that “virtually everyone knew” about McCarrick’s behavior.

Pope Francis accepted former Cardinal McCarrick’s resignation last month over sexual abuse claims.

As the Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter reported, O’Malley held a closed-door meeting at St. Julia’s in Weston that lasted more than an hour and a half. Priests speaking afterward said O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, gave his side of the story in the scandal involving McCarrick.

He had another archdiocesan official speak about the ongoing investigation into abuse allegations at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton. The meeting also included a town hall where priests were able to speak, with many voicing worries or frustrations.

This is a positive step internally for the church but O’Malley needs to make a convincing case to the people in the Catholic community, as well as the community at large, as to why he is to be trusted.