BOSTON (MA)
Boston Herald
By Kimberly Atkins and Marie Szaniszlo
Thursday, February 23, 2006 - Updated: 07:51 AM EST
Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley has won praise in some quarters for his handling of the sex abuse scandal that rocked the Archdiocese of Boston. But some victims called his promotion an “insult,” saying the newly named cardinal broke his promise to reach out to the those abused by priests and to smooth a rift between them and the church.
“He hasn’t kept his word to the victims,” said Alexa MacPherson, 31, who was abused repeatedly by a priest as a child. She is one of 550 victims who took part in an $85 million settlement in 2003.
“You can’t just heal people by opening up your wallet, writing a check, and passing it on to us,” she said. “I feel like he’s being promoted for a job not well done, just as Cardinal Law was,” said MacPherson’s lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian.
In a conference call with reporters, O’Malley defended his dealings with abuse victims.