Rome's new cardinal sin

Boston Globe ^ | May 30, 2004 | Eileen McNamara

[tvn]

It wasn't enough to evict parishioners from 65 churches in the scandal-stained Archdiocese of Boston? The Vatican had to choose the same week to install the chief architect of this disaster in a Roman basilica?

Set aside the fundamental depravity of rewarding an unindicted coconspirator in serial child rape with a plush posting to the Eternal City. How much clearer a signal could the Roman Catholic Church send to the faithful that it administers justice in two tiers, one for the laity and another for its clerics?....

Saying the occasional Mass for five nuns in a suburban Maryland convent, between regular jaunts to Rome, earns Cardinal Bernard F. Law absolution for enabling and then covering up decades of crimes against children? Why didn't his confessor just tell His Eminence to say three Hail Marys and call it even?

The layer of frosting on this hierarchical hypocrisy was the pronouncement from Pope John Paul II on Friday that the United States is "a society increasingly in danger of forgetting its spiritual roots."

The Vatican's appointment of Law as head priest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major is an affront to every immigrant whose hard-earned nickels and dimes built the churches that will now be razed or sold off for condominiums to ease the financial burden brought by the clergy sexual abuse crisis. It does not matter whether the proceeds are used directly to pay the multimillion-dollar settlements to abuse victims. The coffers are empty because the scandal emptied the pews of the people and their checkbooks.

A diminished priesthood and disheartened laity could have inspired thoughtful reflection in Rome. Instead, it provoked a fearful retrenchment, an attack on American Catholics who question church policy on women priests, on celibacy, on the attempt to assert control over the votes of Catholic politicians.

[saradippity]

He's talking about Christianity.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "What do you do with a disgraced Cardinal?"

Stamp licker with NAMBLA?

[Mark in the Old South]

Be gone little man, we don't serve you kind here.

[sinkspur]

Be gone little man, we don't serve you kind here.

You went from Protestantism to schism.

How did you improve your spiritual lot?

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "You went from Protestantism to schism."

You still have not explained how I could have converted to Catholicism and suddenly become schismatic. Since you are the one making the accusation you will have to justify it or be taken for a foolish man, that or an intellectual weakling.

Spiritually? Never felt better. How about you? I come to this website to talk and learn from others of like mind. I do not go to liberal websites and lob verbal Molotov cocktails, make accusations that I don't back up and in general tick off people. All these things you do all the time. Does this improve your spiritual lot brother?

Never mind I shouldn't waste my time, you will never answer a meaningful question in a meaningful way. It is not why you are here.

[sinkspur]

LOL! You "out-nasty" me any day of the week, bub.

That's why so many of your posts get pulled.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "That's why so many of your posts get pulled."

This a prime example of what I am talking about. I haven't had any post pulled, as far as I know. You make wild charges but you do not back anything up. I doubt you will do so now. You did not answer any of the questions I asked above? You will not do so now. People can see through these methods.

[sinkspur]

I haven't had any post pulled, as far as I know.

You've had at least three pulled. I know, because I had them pulled. They were insulting and vulgar.

You know the answers to the questions you asked. You've been told them over and over and over.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "You know the answers to the questions you asked. You've been told them over and over and over"

You had done this since day one. This is not an answer.
If post have been pulled I sure don't know about it. But If anyone would cry about it it would be you. I don't see other people doing this to you. Does this make you happy, feel more powerful? Opps I asked another question silly moi. No point in that.