For weeks now, across the country, church leaders have been acknowledging their failure to take action against priests accused of sexually molesting children.

Their claims, instead, include accusations against lay employees of the archdiocese or priests in religious orders.

The cardinal, like bishops around the nation, has established a lay review board to evaluate accusations against priests.

There will be three trials within a week against Catholic priests.

Some Vatican officials have opposed tough measures against priests, particularly on reporting accusations to the civil authorities.

It instructs bishops on how to deal with allegations of child abuse against priests.

Taking action against abusive priests is especially sensitive for the bishop.

He later was asked by Cardinal Law to handle allegations of sexual abuse against priests.

He was warned against priests by his mother, who often said that the Church was "only a pub."

The next year he enjoined them to take action against married priests, and deprived these clerics of their revenues.