18 THE VIDEOGRAPHER: The time is 12:24. 12:24:26 19 This is Cassette 2 in the deposition of 12:24:59 20 Cardinal Law. We're on the record. 12:24:59 21 Q Cardinal Law, just so the record is clear, 12:25:02 22 before you left as vicar general of Jackson, 12:25:06 23 Mississippi, you had had this conversation with 12:25:11 24 Father Broussard; is that correct? 12:25:14 105 1 A That's correct. 12:25:14 2 Q And you took no action to notify the 12:25:15 3 individuals at St. Peter's Parish that you can 12:25:19 4 recall at this time; is that correct? 12:25:21 5 A That's correct. 12:25:25 6 Q And did you also know a Father Thomas Boyce? 12:25:25 7 A I did. 12:25:28 8 Q And was Father Thomas Boyce also an individual 12:25:29 9 who came to your attention as a priest who had 12:25:33 10 molested children in Jackson, Mississippi, when 12:25:36 11 you were serving as vicar general? 12:25:39 12 A I don't have an active recall of that, but if 12:25:43 13 you bring the case before me, I might -- it 12:25:46 14 might come to light. 12:25:49 15 Q I don't have any case to bring in front of you. 12:25:52 16 I'm just asking whether you have -- your memory 12:25:54 17 might be refreshed between now and the time we 12:25:58 18 come back, which is fine. 12:26:00 19 A Yeah. I don't recall something that would 12:26:02 20 have -- I don't recall -- I don't have the 12:26:07 21 impression of Father Thomas Boyce as someone 12:26:11 22 who was responsible for the sexual abuse of 12:26:13 23 minors. 12:26:17 24 Q Well, I'm not asking for responsibility. I'm 12:26:17 106 1 asking whether you're aware -- let me make the 12:26:20 2 question a little bit broader. Are you aware 12:26:22 3 of any inappropriate or boundary violations 12:26:24 4 that were committed by Father Thomas Boyce 12:26:27 5 against children while you were serving as 12:26:30 6 vicar general? 12:26:33 7 A Yes. And I have no active recollection of 12:26:34 8 that. 12:26:36 9 Q Fair enough. 12:26:36 10 Now, did you ever speak with Dr. Morrison 12:26:39 11 about this conversation that you had with 12:26:47 12 Father Broussard where he told you that he had 12:26:51 13 engaged in some inappropriate activity, 12:26:54 14 including boundary violations with the Morrison 12:26:59 15 children? 12:27:03 16 A I don't know that this answer will suffice to 12:27:07 17 your question. 12:27:10 18 Q Sure. 12:27:10 19 A But allow me, if I may, and I must say that I 12:27:11 20 have not thought of this for decades, so that 12:27:17 21 I'm trying now to reconstruct what may have 12:27:22 22 occurred. 12:27:28 23 I recollect, in a very vague way, 12:27:33 24 receiving the knowledge that George Broussard 12:27:37 107 1 had been confronted by -- and perhaps 12:27:44 2 "confronted" is too strong a term in terms of 12:27:53 3 how it occurred -- by Dr. Morrison with regard 12:27:56 4 to inappropriate behavior with one or more of 12:28:00 5 Dr. Morrison's sons; and that Dr. Morrison, and 12:28:09 6 I presume Mrs. Morrison, had satisfied 12:28:22 7 themselves that Father Broussard was adequately 12:28:27 8 dealing with this problem, and that he was 12:28:39 9 not -- and that he did not present a further 12:28:43 10 risk. 12:28:46 11 Now, that's my -- that's my recollection. 12:28:47 12 And I believe that that information came to me 12:28:52 13 through Broussard, but it could have come to me 12:28:58 14 through Dr. Morrison. It's conceivable that 12:29:01 15 Dr. Morrison met with me as well. My 12:29:04 16 recollection is that whatever occurred was 12:29:08 17 dealt with in a way that was satisfying to the 12:29:13 18 Morrisons. 12:29:19 19 Q Yet you also are aware, are you not, Cardinal 12:29:20 20 Law, that there were allegations subsequently 12:29:24 21 brought by other individuals about improper 12:29:28 22 sexual misconduct by Father Broussard? Are you 12:29:31 23 not? 12:29:33 24 A I am not aware of that. 12:29:34 108 1 Q You're not aware of any individuals alleging 12:29:36 2 that their children committed suicide as a 12:29:39 3 result of sexual molestation by Father 12:29:43 4 Broussard? 12:29:46 5 A I am not aware of that. 12:29:46 6 Q So as I understand it, and now -- I think you 12:29:48 7 said before the break that you thought that 12:29:50 8 this came -- that this information came from 12:29:53 9 Father Broussard himself. I take it after 12:29:55 10 reflecting on it, it could have come from 12:29:58 11 either Dr. Morrison or from Father Broussard? 12:30:01 12 A Or it could have come from both. 12:30:03 13 Q It could have come from both? 12:30:06 14 A Yes. 12:30:08 15 Q It's your testimony and belief -- and I want to 12:30:09 16 give you time to think about this between now 10:09:25 17 and the time we reconvene -- but it's your 12:30:13 18 understanding right now that essentially you 12:30:15 19 considered the matter closed because the father 12:30:16 20 of the Morrison children felt that there was no 12:30:18 21 more risk posed by Father Broussard. Is that 12:30:21 22 your testimony? 12:30:23 23 A That's correct. 12:30:24 24 Q And what qualifications did Dr. Morrison have 12:30:24 109 1 to make the assessment that Father Broussard 12:30:32 2 was no longer a threat to children that you 12:30:34 3 know of, Cardinal Law? 12:30:36 4 A Again, in retrospect, his area of medical 12:30:39 5 expertise would not have given him -- would not 12:30:45 6 have given him that kind of authority. But at 12:30:50 7 the time, and we're talking about 1970, 12:30:58 8 possibly -- 12:31:04 9 Q '73, I think. 12:31:06 10 A Well, '73, which is the year that I left, as I 12:31:07 11 think I said. I probably finished in November 12:31:13 12 of '73. So it was sometime before November of 12:31:17 13 '73. We're talking about November of '73, and 12:31:20 14 at that point, in a rather unsophisticated way, 12:31:29 15 I would have relied on the judgment of a parent 12:31:36 16 in this case. 12:31:42 17 Q The parent -- 12:31:43 18 A Who was a doctor. 12:31:45 19 Q The parent in this case -- he was not a 12:31:46 20 psychiatrist, was he? 12:31:48 21 A No. He was -- I can't remember what his 12:31:49 22 specialty was, but I'm quite certain it was not 12:31:57 23 psychiatry. 12:31:57 24 Q And you knew in 1973 that child abuse, I think 12:31:57 110 1 you said earlier, was a sin; is that correct? 12:32:02 2 A Certainly it was a sin, yes. 12:32:05 3 Q And -- 12:32:06 4 A But that wouldn't be dealt with by a 12:32:08 5 psychiatrist. 12:32:11 6 Q I know. It would be dealt with presumably by 12:32:12 7 the individuals in charge of that priest; is 12:32:15 8 that correct? 12:32:16 9 A No, no. Well, no. When I say -- if I may. 12:32:17 10 When I say that sexual abuse is a sin, what I'm 12:32:20 11 referring to is that it is an act against God's 12:32:25 12 law, and God's command, and one deals with that 12:32:31 13 as a Catholic through the sacrament of penance. 12:32:35 14 The scripture says judge not that you be not 12:32:41 15 judged. So that in terms of where a person 12:32:44 16 stands in relationship to God, it's not for me 12:32:47 17 to judge or for you to judge or anyone else to 12:32:51 18 judge.