By Jim O'Sullivan

It was, in title, a demotion for Father Bryan J. Hehir, last week's announcement last week that he will serve as the new head of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Boston. Hehir, who was ordained in Boston, currently is serving as national president of the social service umbrella organization, based in Virginia.

But the 63-year-old Hehir's move to Boston comes as the archdiocese tries to recover from the damage - both psychological and financial - inflicted by the clergy sex scandal, a local story with international consequences. With local Catholic schools closing and social services suffering from municipal, state, and federal budget cuts, Catholic Charities, as the largest non-governmental provider of social services in Massachusetts, plays a key role in assisting the poor.

Neal Finnegan, chair of the Catholic Charities board, said in a statement, "Our Board looks forward to working with Fr. Hehir. It is hard to imagine a better choice. Father Hehir is renowned for his ability to represent Catholic values, and he is deeply committed to a 'just and compassionate society rooted in the dignity of all people.' He has first hand experience with Catholic Charities organizations all across the country and knows and understands the needs of the poor here in his home state."

Hehir spoke two weeks ago at a Boston College event discussing the role of laity in the Church. Hehir and other panelists called for increased flexibility among members of the hierarchy.

"You have to find a way in which you can live with degrees of disappointment," Hehir said, delineating between Church dogma and lived religion.

Hehir insisted that bishops should adhere to "a simple principle: We've got to treat adults as adults in the Church."

He said bishops oversaw "the most educated laity in history," and should tailor their interactions with that laity accordingly.

"A hundred years ago tonight," Hehir said, "a discussion like this would've been inconceivable - literally inconceivable."

The man Hehir will replace at the helm of the organization praised the Hehir appointment. "It'll be like replacing the neighborhood tenor with Placido Domingo," Doolin told the Reporter last week.

Bill Forry contributed to this report.