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To: Mrs. Don-o

It is not OK.

Cardinal Law presided over the shuttling around of known predatory homosexual pederast priests. He enabled, or allowed others under his authority to place these priests in positions where they could and did commit further attacks on boys.

Lives were ruined, families were devastated, and the faith in the Church of untold numbers of Catholics was diminished.

I believe all of the above is uncontested fact.

Criminal law/prosecution is irrelevant.

How can anyone claim reform while this behavior is accepted in the highest offices of the Church?

He should have been expelled from the Church, not given *any* job in Rome, no matter how small you portray it to be.


47 posted on 03/21/2012 11:17:10 AM PDT by Triple (Socialism denies people the right to the fruits of their labor, and is as abhorrent as slavery)
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To: Triple; NYer
I read the same press you did 10 years ago, and I remember that Law's apparent protection of priests with credible allegations against them, made me horribly distressed and ashamed. Me and millions of others. However if there were no charges at any time of criminal abuse or neglect, nor of actionable negligence, all the Vatican had to go on was pastoral failure (in the sense of ongoing grave errors of judgment.)

Concluding that there was no criminal action or intent (which the state did, after intense investigation) and in view of Law's repentance of his pastoral failure, the Church did the right thing in depriving him of pastoral office.

Some seem scandalized by the fact that, while being barred from any pastoral role, Law he was given the opportunity of doing some good in his remaining years. Repentant sinners are not excommunicated, it's true. If that's what you prefer, there are other, better ways to think about it.

49 posted on 03/21/2012 12:00:08 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Stet.)
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