Posted on 03/16/2013 10:56:06 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Rome
Reports that Pope Francis has ordered Cardinal Bernard Law to stay away from the Basilica of St. Mary Major and is about to ship him off to a monastery are “completely and totally false,” according to a Vatican spokesperson.
During a press briefing on Thursday about Pope Francis’ visit to St. Mary Major, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi said that Law had briefly greeted Francis and then exited the scene.
The Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, however, reported that Francis had told Law to stop appearing in public at the basilica, where he retired as Archpriest in November 2011. The report also said that the new pope, “as his first act of purification,” is preparing to dispatch the 81-year-old Law to a cloistered monastery.
Basilian Fr. Thomas Rosica, who’s acting as an assistant Vatican spokesperson during the papal transition, told NCR today that those reports are “completely and totally false.”
Law, of course, resigned as Archbishop of Boston in December 2002 at the peak of the sexual abuse scandals in the United States. His appointment as Archpriest of St. Mary Major in 2004 brought criticism from advocates for abuse victims.
However the new pope decides to deal with Law, there’s no doubt that recovery from the abuse scandals will be high on his to-do list.
While then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio doesn’t have an extensive track record on the church’s abuse scandals, his election as pope was welcomed by the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests, largely on the strength of the fact that he doesn’t come out of the Roman Curia.
The new pope has been outspoken on the broader issue of the sexual exploitation of children in society.
“In this city, there are many girls who stop playing with dolls to enter the dump of a brothel because they were stolen, sold, betrayed,” he said in 2011, referring to Buenos Aires.
“Women and girls are kidnapped, and they are subjected to use and abuse of their body; they are destroyed in their dignity,” he said. “The flesh that Jesus assumed and died for is worth less than the flesh of a pet. A dog is cared for better than these slaves of ours, who are kicked, who are broken.”
This article comes from the National Catholic Reporter. You decide the veracity of its claims.
Pogroms? How pogressive...
....Basilian Fr. Thomas Rosica, who’s acting as an assistant Vatican spokesperson during the papal transition, told NCR today that those reports are “completely and totally false.” Law, of course, resigned as Archbishop of Boston in December 2002 at the peak of the sexual abuse scandals in the United States. His appointment as Archpriest of St. Mary Major in 2004 brought criticism from advocates for abuse victims.
Who do you believe, NYer? John Allen at the National Catholic Reporter, or the British tabloid The Daily Mail?
The Daily Mail is mentioning “Italian Media”. It would be nice to know what Italian Media.
Six of one, a half dozen of the other.
If he sends Law somewhere, he ought to send Mahony along with him.
Madam Law was swifted to Rome and put out to pasture before the current Pope came along. Homopedotard.
Well, I am very disappointed to learn that the incident did not occur.
Once again, it’s John Allen. He stands out in the NCR like a diamond among -— rabbit pellets.
Me too.
I just know that from years of reading, I trust Allen second only to Phil Lawler.
Lawler-- now there's my guy. There's nobody I respect more. He is at the top of my go-to list to figure out what's really going on.
Yes, Lawyer and Dr. Robert Moynihan. Moynihan is more sensitive to traditional issues.
Moynihan too, yes! Thank you for bringing his name onto our Honor Roll!
After all his years at the National Schismatic Reporter, he is probably very well paid, and there's no other Catholic paper or magazine of which I am aware that could afford to pay him a major columnist's salary.
With that said, at some point a fellow just has to say "No." Everybody has a point beyond which they will not go -- and given the poisonous anti-Catholic rhetoric that NCR puts out on a regular basis, if I were in his shoes I would have reached that point a long time ago.
It is easier to say that before you are already in the soup, though. Many years ago, when I was unemployed, I was offered a job and the money was very good, but I asked the advice of an older lawyer that I respected very much, and he said NOT to take the job -- although he said "I can't tell you why - but don't take it." I didn't, and I was glad afterwards. And I won't tell you why either. :-)
Oremus.
I know that Fr. Z thinks he is OK, but I question Allen's judgment staying there as the other reporters and the editorial board become more and more obviously anti-Catholic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.