NOVENDIALES - Day 4 - Monday 11 April. For the Chapters of the Patriarchal Basilicas.

EWTN & Yahoo News ^ | April 12, 2005

[NYer]

Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, archpriest of the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary Major.

U.S. Cardinal Bernard Law (L) gives the host to a young priest during a Mass in the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica April 11, 2005. U.S. victims of child abuse by priests said on Monday the Catholic Church was 'rubbing salt in an open wound' by allowing the cardinal they hold responsible to say a memorial mass for the Pope. Cardinal Bernard Law was forced to resign as archbishop of Boston in 2002 over the abuse scandal. He was blamed for allowing priests known to have sexually abused minors to be moved from parish to parish instead of being sacked.

Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera attends a mourning Mass for Pope John Paul II led by US Cardinal Bernard Law in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, April 11, 2005. Cardinals started their last week of preparations before sealing themselves off from the world in a secret conclave to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic church. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) p>

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[NYer]

[dangus]

It hasbeen reported -- falsely, I presume -- tha Cardinals use the novena to frame the debate over what qualities are sought in the next Pope. Hence, there was outrage that Cardinal Law was trying to stage a comeback through this "honor." Anyone have the text of his homily?

[pseudo-ignatius]

I doubt that the other cardinals are that interested in what Cardinal Law had to say. Maybe I'm wrong.

Everyone is making a big deal out of nothing here--he's the archpriest of Mary Major, so he gets to say one of the Masses of Novendiales. Just how it works.