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Judge orders Cardinal Law to testify

Cardinal Law

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A superior court judge ruled Monday that Cardinal Bernard Law, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, will have to be deposed in the civil case involving defrocked priest John Geoghan.

The cardinal could be deposed as early as Wednesday.

Eighty-six people sued the archdiocese over allegations of sexual abuse by Geoghan, who is in prison after receiving a sentence in January of up to 10 years for fondling a young boy. He also faces other child sexual abuse charges.

Authorities believe Geoghan was a serial sexual offender over many years and had as many as 200 victims.

Over Law's objections, the archdiocese's finance council decided Friday not to approve a settlement agreement, which attorneys for the archdiocese estimated could cost the church about $30 million, because it feared the church would not have financial resources to deal with other potential cases.

EXTRA INFORMATION Background: Law and other key players  in the Catholic church scandal    MORE STORIES   •  Cardinal denies settlement with alledged sex abuse victims  RESOURCES   •  TIME.com: Catholicism in Crisis   •  The pope's letter   •  Interactive: Catholic Church faces scandal   •  In-Depth: Crisis in the Priesthood

Mitchell Garabedian, the attorney who negotiated the settlement, told Superior Court Judge Constance Sweeney Monday that there never was any mention during nearly a year of negotiations that a finance council would need to approve the agreement.

Attorneys for the archdiocese told Sweeney that such approval is required by canon law. Sweeney said in her research over the weekend, however, she found nothing in civil law mentioning such a role for the council.

The judge said she wanted to see something from archdiocese attorneys as early as Tuesday showing which part of canon law allows the council to overrule a cardinal's decision, in this case, the settlement.

Garabedian has said he is exploring suing the church for breach of contract for backing out of the agreement reached in March.

Law said Sunday the archdiocese faces more than 236 legal claims over sexual abuse by priests.

"Up until a month ago, we thought that there were about 30 more outstanding claims beyond those 86. In recent weeks, however, that number of 30 has grown to in excess of 150 additional claims," Law said.

"It was [the finance council's] judgment that the dramatic increase in the number of cases had substantially altered the situation," the cardinal said.

"Their concern, and I think it is a laudable concern, is that justice and equity would not be served by agreeing to this settlement for 86 persons."

--- CNN Correspondent Jason Carroll contributed to this report.