Sunday, Dec. 22, 2002

Bishop Wilton D. Gregory

A rising star in a year of fallen priests, Bishop Gregory led the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in drafting a new, tougher policy to deal with clergy accused of sexual abuse. In December the Vatican approved it, albeit in modified form, but the heartbreak and the lawsuits will continue, and Gregory, whose home diocese is Belleville, Ill., must pray for guidance on the difficult road ahead.