Posted on 04/07/2005 4:09:47 PM PDT by StoneColdGOP
VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace as archbishop of Boston over his role in the clergy sex abuse crisis, has been given a role of honor in the mourning for Pope John Paul II.
The Vatican announced Thursday he will lead one of the daily Masses celebrated in the pope's memory during the nine-day period that follows the funeral, called Novemdiales. The service will be held Monday at St. Mary Major Basilica, where Law was appointed archpriest after leaving Boston.
Some Catholics in his former archdiocese immediately protested.
Suzanne Morse, spokeswoman for Voice of the Faithful, a Newton, Mass.-based reform group that emerged from the abuse scandal, said Law's visibility since the pope's death has been ``extremely painful'' both for abuse survivors and rank-and-file Catholics.
``It certainly shows and puts a spotlight on the lack of accountability in the Catholic Church, that the most visible bishop in the clergy sexual abuse crisis has been given these honorary opportunities,'' she said.
John King, 40, of Metheun, Mass., was a victim of the Rev. Ronald H. Paquin, a convicted rapist who was defrocked by the Vatican.
``It's a sad state of affairs,'' he said. ``They're just trying to make this go away, but I don't see how there's going to be any change now.''
David Clohessy, national director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, called it ``terribly insensitive.''
``It rubs salt into the already deep wounds of victims and it allows the best-documented complicit bishop to exploit the pope's death for his own selfish purposes,'' Clohessy said.
Law did not respond to a phone message left at the basilica.
He stepped down as archbishop 11 months after a judge unsealed court records in January 2002 that showed he had allowed priests with confirmed histories of molesting children to continue working in parishes.
Among the records were letters Law had written to some of the predators expressing support and thanks for their service to the church.
Many Boston Catholics already were upset about the pope's decision to appoint him to the basilica. The post is ceremonial but highly visible; the church is one of four basilicas under direct Vatican jurisdiction.
``I don't know what right he has saying a Mass of any kind, never mind for the pope,'' said Alexa McPherson, 30, who settled a lawsuit against the archdiocese alleging she was molested by the Rev. Peter Kanchong at St. Margaret's church in Dorchester. ``He shouldn't even be there. He should be in Boston behind bars.''
Chester Gillis, an expert in Catholicism at Georgetown University, said celebrating a Mass during the mourning period is not only an honor, but a position of influence.
In their homilies, cardinals usually indicate what they think are the key issues for the church ahead. Observers scour the speeches for clues to how a cardinal will vote.
``This is an ability to express oneself to one's colleagues all at one time,'' Gillis said.
Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston attorney who has represented more than 200 people who sued the church over alleged sexual abuse by priests, said Law's resurfacing has brought a new round of pain to victims.
``It clearly is an insult and a slap in the face,'' he said. ``Apparently the Vatican has taken the position that the clergy sexual abuse scandal must be swept under the rug.''
Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick said he did not know why Law was chosen, but said it was likely because the basilica is one of the great churches of Rome.
``It would be a natural selection,'' McCarrick said. ``The choice was certainly not made for any reason except to honor St. Mary Major.''
Asked if it was a Vatican signal that Law should be forgiven, McCarrick said, ``I think we feel we are all Easter people ... We look at the light rather than the darkness.''
The fourth-largest U.S. diocese has been shaken not only by Law's resignation after 18 years, but also by settlements of more than $85 million with more than 550 victims.
Law's successor, Archbishop Sean O'Malley, has also had to oversee a series of painful parish closures as the archdiocese adjusts to a shortage of priests and drop in collections.
O'Malley, in Rome for the pope's funeral, declined to comment on Law.
``We're here to talk about the pope,'' he said. In Boston, Ronald Lacey, 35, was among those who said Law's resignation as archbishop was irrelevant to his role in memorializing the pope.
``I think it was right for him to leave the Archdiocese of Boston,'' said Lacey, who was attending midday Mass at a downtown chapel. ``But if he grieves the death of the Holy Father, I think that's right, too.''
Let's work and pray to put this regrettable episode in the Church behind us.
Anyone can say they are sorry and those of us who live in Boston and witnessed the whole thing, know law never repented, you'd have to know him to understand this.
Perfectly stated and correct, Sinkspur. I greatly respect the courage of The Globe (and many other newspapers in the US) to publish these stories in their full depth and scope. The TRUTH was, and continues to be, the most valuable commodity in the abuse crisis.
The Globe resurrected a ten year old story concerning Priest Geoghan a few years ago. They apparently got the goods on a few other deviants and then they launched their unrelenting assault on the one institution in this area that actually provided decent education to ordinary folks at an economical price.
When the scandal broke open in force people began to come out of the woodwork looking for a piece of the action that the church was going to pay to the victims. Are you seriously suggesting that thousands of children were molested by a few perverts and it never came out over forty or so years until the Globe began blaring the few allegations of it on their front page for weeks straight?
The Globe is one of the most radical left wing newspapers that this nation has ever seen. They are beginning to pay a real price for their iniquities with a declining circulation which among other things is being driven by a backlash for their very unpopular positions on numerous social issues.
The Globe's attacks on Cardinal law and the church have resulted in the closing of many schools and entire parishes just in this area alone. I know many people living in Boston who have children of school age. I do not know anyone who sends their children to the Boston Public Schools. The Globe along with social engineers have destroyed the system with the help of federal interlopers such as the late Judge Garrity.
The Boston Globe is a great threat to the Catholic Church, and to the nation itself in my opinion. They won a big battle this time, and they are working on a few other matters.
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=76909
There were than a "few" perverts. There were over 4,000.
And, no, the extent of the problem did not emerge until The Globe blew the corruption in Boston wide open.
It's ok to dislike The Globe. But it did great work in the case of clerical sexual abuse.
I already cited your post 75. All lies and attacks.
If you weren't an idiot and could read, you would be agreeing with me.
It is a secret. shhhh....
Okay, I'll spell it out: I ALREADY SPELLED IT OUT IN MY POST GO BACK AND READ IT. You quote me, then impute things that I didn't say, and disagree with that. It's bizarre. Try again.
"The Boston Globe is a great threat to the Catholic Church, and to the nation itself in my opinion. They won a big battle this time, and they are working on a few other matters. "
Ya know, I really haven't read anything the Globe has written, and I'm relatively uneducated as to what really went on in the Catholic Church regarding anything pedophilia related. The one thing that occurs to me after reading a great number of these posts is that some don't realize that even an enemy of yours coming to you with something that could help you clean up an internal mess shouldn't be ignored. Oftentimes it takes someone else scrutinizing you (especially someone who doesn't care for you) to point out things you really need to change. Egocentrism is a dangerous thing.
Do you even stop to read your own posts?
The gist of it is that you don't give a damn, you just think Cardinal Law is evil and you won't be satisfied until he's dead. Well pardon me if I still think you're an idiot.
A decade later the Globe ran a series on all the people who had been falsely accused and spent all that time in jail because they'd been caught up in the abuse hysteria.
Think about that.
Like I said, you won't be happy until you see his rotting corpse.
Just take your $200k and get out!
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