Nicholas Cafardi, law school dean at Duquesne University, has been named chairman of the U.S. bishops' National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People, which oversees the bishops' response to child sexual abuse by priests.

He was appointed yesterday, as were five new board members, by Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"I see this as a chance to continue the work of the board in making sure that children are safe and that no priest with a history of sexual abuse of minors is returned to ministry," said Cafardi, 55, a civil and canon lawyer. His three-year board term is due to end in June.

A staff attorney for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the 1980s, he has a 20-year track record of advocating the permanent removal of priests who molest minors.

His appointment comes as the bishops prepare to review rules they adopted in 2002, requiring them to remove any priest who has ever molested a minor, to include lay boards in that decision process and to submit to annual audits of their efforts to end abuse.

Both of Cafardi's predecessors had lambasted some bishops for balking at the audits and undermining the board. But the board's work prevailed and the audits went forward.

Cafardi does not anticipate major changes from the review.

The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the norms that make the charter law, "are working well," he said.

"I personally think that, if any changes are made, they will be a matter of fine-tuning."

He downplayed criticism of the National Review Board by a few bishops who say lay oversight violates church law.

"The bishops don't report to us. We're not their overseer in that sense. But they have asked us to monitor their own compliance with the promises that they made" to address abuse, he said.

Bishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh said Cafardi had "an exceptional background."

"Dean Cafardi has such a gracious manner and judicial temperament in dealing with people, and will be able to move forward the agenda of the National Review Board," he said.

David Clohessy, executive director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, called Cafardi "a perfectly nice guy," but said he appeared too close to the bishops.

"A lawyer who has worked for Catholic dioceses or religious orders isn't the best choice for this role," Clohessy said.

Cafardi, the only canon lawyer on the board, was one of the first appointees in June 2002. He had previously criticized Vatican officials for being too slow to place children's safety above the rights of offending priests.

"Canon law spelled out the rights of priests, but not the rights of lay people. Nowhere is it spelled out that we have a right to priests who will not harm our children, but it is common sense that you would have that right," Cafardi said.