PORTLAND – The leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland had kind words for Cardinal Bernard F. Law upon his resignation and promised prayers for the interim leader of the Boston archdiocese.

Bishop Joseph Gerry said Friday he recognizes that the sex abuse scandal that rocked the Archdiocese of Boston has caused anger and sadness.

“Certainly this has been an extremely painful time for him and for the faithful of the archdiocese. I am equally certain that much thought and prayer went into his decision to resign from the office,” Gerry said.

Gerry said he and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Cote will be praying for interim leader Auxiliary Bishop Richard Lennon, who is stepping into the middle of the situation after being elevated to bishop just last year.

A Bangor priest agreed with Law’s decision.

“It probably was the right thing to do,” the Rev. Richard McLaughlin, pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church, said Friday. He said the archdiocese still faces many problems, including possible bankruptcy.

Paul Kendrick of Cumberland, a member of the reform group Voice of the Faithful who took part in a protest Sunday in Boston calling for Law’s removal, said the resignation was an important step in coming to grips with the scandal.

“It’s important that Catholics remember that this is not just a Boston issue,” said Kendrick, who urged Gerry to rescind his decision barring Voice of the Faithful from meeting on church property. “They originally said we couldn’t meet there because Gerry wanted to be in deference to Law,” he said. “We think that has now gone by.”

Although it appears that Maine was largely insulated from the scandal that rocked the church in Massachusetts, Kendrick said no one can know for sure until Gerry provides a full accounting. “We don’t know that because we don’t know how many children were victimized, how many cash settlements were made,” he said.

Three Maine priests were removed because of credible allegations of past misconduct as the scandal widened.

But the scope of the problems in Maine never compared to the problems in Boston, where the state attorney general claimed the archdiocese engaged in a cover-up and that its leaders could be held criminally liable.

In a statement, Gerry recalled Law’s many acts of kindness. “I have always been grateful for his support and encouragement to me,” Gerry said.

“Bishop Cote and I wish Cardinal Law God’s every blessing for the future,” Gerry said. “We pledge our support and prayers to Bishop Lennon.”

News reporter Judy Harrison contributed to this report.