Pope gives ex-archbishop of Boston the post of archpriest of basilica

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope John Paul II gave Cardinal Bernard Law an official position in Rome today, appointing the former Boston archbishop who resigned in the sex abuse scandal as head of a basilica.
Cardinal Law, 72, will have the title archpriest of St. Mary Major Basilica, a largely ceremonial post often given to retired prelates.
He resigned Dec. 13, 2002, to quell an outcry over his handling of sex abuse cases involving clergy.
He moved from Boston and became resident chaplain at a convent in Maryland, although he retained his membership on nine Vatican congregations and councils, traveling frequently to Rome.
An archpriest is in charge of administration in a basilica and has ceremonial functions. At St. Mary Major in downtown Rome, near the city's main railroad station, he succeeds 82-year-old Italian Cardinal Carlo Furno.
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