The choice of Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane to lead the US Conference of Catholic Bishops drew immediate criticism from victim advocates, who said Skylstad has been insensitive to their needs. Bishops defended the choice and said the impending bankruptcy of Skylstad's Spokane diocese is simply a reflection of the current financial crisis facing many American dioceses.

Bishop William S. Skylstad (L), was congratulated by Bishop Wilton D. Gregory after being chosen to lead the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. (Getty Images Photo)

Skylstad will replace Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, the first African-American leader of the conference, whose three-year tenure as president has been dominated by the clergy sexual abuse crisis.

"When I began my term as your president, none of us could have foreseen the extraordinary challenges that would face the church in this country at the dawn of this new millennium," Gregory said.

Gregory said that over the next seven months, the bishops will review and propose revisions to the child protection policies they adopted in Dallas in 2002, and will move forward with a promised study of the "causes and context" of the sexual abuse crisis.

"As a body and as individuals, we have faced a great deal of criticism over the last three years," Gregory said. "As always, the most painful criticism is that which has some truth and justice in it. But we also faced much criticism that was misdirected and even unfair and unjust."

The election of Skylstad, 70, was not a surprise; he was elected as vice president of the conference three years ago, and the conference has traditionally elevated its vice presidents to the presidency.

But Skylstad is a potentially uncomfortable illustration of the challenges facing some bishops; he said last week that the Spokane diocese, unable to settle lawsuits by alleged abuse victims, would begin preparations to file for Chapter 11 reorganization by Nov. 29. And last month, the Seattle Times ran a lengthy report, based on court documents, saying that in the 1970s a priest who lived in Skylstad's rectory allegedly molested children while living there, and that parishioners and victims who complained to Skylstad about the behavior of the Rev. Patrick G. O'Donnell Jr. felt the future bishop did not do enough to stop O'Donnell's behavior.

Skylstad also will face pressure from an emboldened laity. Yesterday, the organization Voice of the Faithful called on the new conference president to push for greater financial transparency and disclosure by dioceses.

Skylstad did not speak to reporters yesterday, but briefly addressed the bishops, saying: "I have no doubt that the days ahead will continue to be days of both blessings and challenges for all of us. It would be easy to be intimidated by the challenges." He said one is "the healing and reconciliation of those who have been harmed by sexual abuse, and providing a safe environment in our ministry for youth and children."

The bishops elected Skylstad with 52 percent of the vote in a 10-way race for the presidency. They also chose as the vice president of the conference Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago.

"They decided to stick with the horse they were on -- this is a vote for continuity," said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, editor of America magazine, the Jesuit weekly. "Bishop Skylstad is headed for bankruptcy not because of anything he did -- he shouldn't be blamed for what became inevitable. And his is the third diocese heading toward bankruptcy, but it's not going to be the last -- this may be the future for the church."

Some victims of clergy sexual abuse, who stood outside the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill holding pictures of victims who have killed themselves, were unhappy with Skylstad's election.

"It's disturbing -- he's got a pretty clearly documented record that's not a very sensitive one," said David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "We've not seen anything positive that Skylstad has done. He said almost 300 times in depositions, 'I don't recall.' And we're absolutely convinced that bankruptcy is fundamentally a ploy to keep the truth hidden and the assets in the bank."

Clohessy also said victims are concerned about the bishops' plans to revise the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, as well as the norms adopted two years ago to implement that charter. But Bishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the chairman of the bishops' ad hoc committee on sexual abuse, said that he does not anticipate substantive changes to the charter and the norms, and that he expects the bishops to stick to their so-called zero tolerance policy, under which they have pledged to remove any abusive priest from ministry.

"It's painful, but it's a good policy," Flynn said.

Michael Paulson can be reached at mpaulson@globe.com.