ATHLETE: PRIEST ADMITS ABUSE

In a statement released in March 2002, Cardinal Bernard Law said he was deeply saddened by allegations against former Cardinal Humberto Medeiros. Law is defending his predecessor from accusations that he groped a boy more than two decades ago. Garry Garland, now 38, has made the allegation. He initially filed a lawsuit contending that he was sexually abused at age 14 by Monsignor Frederick Ryan, who was then vice chancellor of the Archdiocese of Boston. Garland alleged that Ryan got him drunk, led him to the monsignor's quarters in the archdiocese chancery and sexually abused him. Garland's lawyer said that he planned to amend the lawsuit to include the allegation that Medeiros, who also lived in the chancery, groped his client as he was led to Ryan's quarters. Medeiros died in 1983. Law said, My heart goes out to the family of Cardinal Medeiros, they and the Catholic Church have been deeply hurt by the reporting of this unsubstantiated allegation.

Ryan, the highest-ranking Boston Archdiocese official implicated in the sex scandal, admitted to molesting three boys more than 20 years ago, a former Boston Bruins hockey player said in sworn testimony made public yesterday.  The athlete, 44 year old Chris Nilan, is a friend of the priest.  Ryan sexually abused David Carney and two others, and maintained a sexual relationship with one of the two others up until three years ago, Nilan said in a June deposition filed as part of a lawsuit brought by Carney against Ryan and the archdiocese.  Nilan, a friend of the three alleged victims, said he confronted Ryan after allegations surfaced earlier this year.

(Boston, Massachusetts)