1.   He replaces Archbishop John Quinn at a particularly fractious juncture, with many Catholics shaken in recent months by parish closings and clergy misconduct.

2.   In recent years, the Catholic Church, including the Archdiocese of Boston, has established lengthy guidelines to confront allegations of clergy sexual misconduct.

3.   Still, he said, clergy sexual misconduct is abhorrent.

4.   And it must also apply to the way the church handles cases of clergy misconduct, not just the priests themselves.