Cardinal O'Malley was supposed to moderate a panel, "Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults," at the World Meeting of Families. He said in a statement that "he will closely follow the proceedings from the Archdiocese of Boston."

At least 1,000 children identified in the investigation were raped in Catholic places of worship, in schools, and in diocesan owned vehicles.

The state’s attorney general said that his office’s two-year investigation identified 301 priests who abused children and more than 1,000 victims.

"This transparency and objectivity I promise you will include a thorough review of our safe environment policies and procedures by an outside investigator," Bishop Conley said.

He had written a letter about his concerns more than a decade before, in 2000, and it didn't seem to go anywhere, but his new motivation came about when he saw Cardinal McCarrick and "wanted this stuff to stop with the seminarians," he said in the interview.

A former head of the E.P.A. warns that the pope’s message on the death penalty, like his message on the environment, may not make it to the pews.