VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Following a yearlong scandal over the handling of priestly misconduct cases in the Archdiocese of Boston, Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Cardinal Bernard F. Law and named a temporary administrator to head the archdiocese.

In a brief Dec. 13 statement, the Vatican said the pope accepted the resignation of Cardinal Law, Boston's archbishop since 1984, under a church law provision for "illness or other serious reason."

It said the pope appointed Boston's Auxiliary Bishop Richard G. Lennon, 55, to serve as the archdiocese's apostolic administrator, or interim leader. Bishop Lennon served two years as rector of the archdiocese's seminary until being made auxiliary bishop last year.

In a statement released by the Vatican, Cardinal Law, 71, said he was "profoundly grateful" to the pope for accepting his resignation, which he said he hoped would help the archdiocese "experience the healing, reconciliation and unity which are so desperately needed."

"To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and mistakes, I both apologize and from them beg forgiveness," he said.

"The particular circumstances of this time suggest a quiet departure. Please keep me in your prayers," he added.

Cardinal Law's resignation was announced less than an hour after he met privately with the pope at the end of a weeklong unannounced visit to the Vatican. The cardinal was in Rome for consultations amid further disclosures of cases of priestly misconduct in Boston and the specter of a potential archdiocesan bankruptcy filing.

The pope was "deeply saddened" by the resignation, a Vatican press official said.

In addition to the pope, Vatican officials said the cardinal also met separately with Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, and Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

Dioceses must seek authorization from the clergy congregation for any major financial decisions, including bankruptcy filings. The bishops' congregation is responsible for preparing episcopal appointments and resignations for the pope.

The cardinal's trip to Rome had coincided with growing anger among sex abuse victims' groups in early December over newly released archdiocesan files that showed some accused priests had received or retained assignments despite recommendations against them.

About 60 of the archdiocese's 900 priests also signed a petition calling on the cardinal to resign.

The Vatican's statement did not mention the question of a potential bankruptcy filing for the archdiocese. In early December, the archdiocese's finance council voted to allow Cardinal Law to pursue reorganizing the archdiocese under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code because of the financial burden of 450 pending lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of minors by Boston priests.

It was also unclear what public role, if any, Cardinal Law would continue to play in the church. As a cardinal, he retains his right to vote in a papal conclave until he turns 80 in November 2011. A Vatican press official said the cardinal also would remain a member of the various Vatican congregations and commissions on which he serves.

Born in Mexico and ordained in 1961 for the Diocese of Jackson, Miss., Cardinal Law served 11 years as bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Mo., before being named archbishop of Boston in January 1984. He was made a cardinal by the pope in 1985.

Cardinal Law's resignation makes him the first U.S. prelate to step down over the handling of priestly sex abuse cases, although several other U.S. bishops have resigned amid allegations that they committed abuse. In 1991, a Canadian archbishop resigned after he was accused of covering up priestly sexual abuse and doing little to help victims.

American Vatican officials in Rome contacted by Catholic News Service declined to comment on Cardinal Law's resignation.

Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, editor of America magazine in New York, said the cardinal's resignation shows that the church recognizes "that it can never go back to business as usual and simply move an abusive priest from one parish to another."

He said Cardinal Law's handling of the sex abuse crisis was "unusually bad" because it continued after the U.S. bishops established national sex abuse guidelines in 1993.

"If he had followed these guidelines like most bishops did, he would not be in the trouble he is today. His resignation will allow someone new to clean up the problem without the baggage of having been responsible for creating it," Father Reese said.

Legionaries of Christ Father Thomas Williams, an American who heads the theology department at Rome's Regina Apostolorum university, said that while the cardinal's resignation will be seen by some people as a bowing to public pressure, "I believe he did it sincerely for the good of the church."

"I am sure the Holy Father accepted his resignation with a heavy heart -- it is too extreme an action, he would have done it only it for the good of the church and its healing," Father Williams said.

"I hope this will be read as an act of love for the church," he said.

Father Williams said that some members of the media and of certain Catholic groups may see the cardinal's resignation as "a victory."