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.''
If it wasn't clear before that you didn't know what you're talking about .....
So you admit, repeatedly, that you have no idea what you're talking about.
Well, that's a start I guess....
"Culture of victimology"? Are you saying you don't believe young people who were sexually molested by Roman Catholic priests are victims of these priests?
A significant number of these people were scarred for life by the abuse, some of it continuing over a period of years. To make matters worse, when they went to the priests' superiors (the bishops), the bishops turned diocesan attorneys loose on them. These vultures compounded the abuse by threatening them and their families with lawsuits if they told anybody, or by paying hush money to protect the "reputation" of the Church.
The behavior of the American hierarchy was abominable. For fifty years they transferred abusers from one parish to another, effectively giving them some fresh meat to prey on.
They aren't a very good advertisement, are they? Well, they represent a sore on the American Catholic Church, and that sore is still not healed.
It won't be until those in the highest echelons of the halls of the Vatican humble themselves, offer a public apology on behalf of the entire Church, and actually listen to the hurt that still aches in the hearts of these damaged souls.
Law will be resented for the rest of his life by some. That is perfectly understandable.
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.
Did not one of these victims have any parents to whom they could complain when these abuses commenced?
That's a cute trick though. Bring up irrelevent questions, and when they don't get answered, make accusations of ignorance. Nice try.
If it wasn't clear before that you didn't know what you're talking about .....
So only members of your church know what they are talking about?
For added perspective let me suggest the root problem regarding the homosexual predators within the Catholic Church that committed the child molestations is a homosexual problem -a problem of a society that promotes the acceptance of homosexuality as anything but disordered.
The Church clearly teaches that homosexuality is disordered and the homosexual agenda is to be opposed.
Interestingly, many of the most vociferous and enraged regarding Cardinal Law are cafeteria Catholics, anti-Catholics, and non-Catholics that support the homosexual agenda?
Cardinal Law is now in Rome; however, the homosexual advocates are still in Boston and still in the Church there -who is enraged and taking on these people?
It does little good to oppose homosexuality if one buys into the evolutionism and higher criticism
For one thing you're gonna have to define "higher criticism" for us.
Oh, you know. JEPD, the Bible is adapted from mythology, etc.
For another, we don't know what you're talking about with evolution -- are you a creationist? Do you think there's a conflict between the religious truths communicated in Genesis and the scientific facts that contribute to evolutionary theory?
Yes. And btw, since evolution is based on the assumption that natural, physical law has always been exactly what it is now (ie, uniformitarianism), and that this even applies to the period when the universe was being created (how natural law could precede and govern the development of a universe of which it is merely a component part is never discussed), did you know that unalterable natural law also says that people don't come back from the dead? But you Catholics have a nasty habit of wanting to rip the "old testament" to shreds in the name of science and then having "child like faith" when it comes to the "new testament." Hope you enjoy the "J*sus Seminar," cause it's what you deserve.
Regarding conservatism, I agree it is tragically ironic that when Cardinal Law was being attacked for being too heavy-handed and conservative it turns out his problem was not being hard-nosed ENOUGH
Once you admit that the Bible is a bunch of mythology that only states the erroneous views of primitive people, there's really no need in cutting this criticism off at moral behavior. Maybe St. Paul was primitive too?
All that may or may not be true, but my point that the church is honoring a guy who abetted child molestations still stands.
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I believe you may be thinking of the Boston Globe, which was actually instrumental in the investigation into the alleged molestations. Regardless of what you and I may think of the Globe, they aggressively pursued this story.
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Take it easy, please.
I still find it impossible to believe. I am a Catholic and I can assure you that when I was a youngster anyone trying a stunt such as that, in our parish, would have been brought to heel; priest or no priest. There were 550 victims in Boston and not one screamed bloody murder....not one.
It was not child molesters -it was homosexual predators. In my opinion, the whole State of Massachusetts is guilty of, as you say, 'abetting' deviant homosexuals! LOL
According to Barney Frank, Teddy Kennedy, John Kerry, the Massachusetts Supreme Court, the Massachusetts education system, and many cafeteria Catholics --homosexual behavior is legal in spite of what the Catholic Church may say on the matter.
In my opinion, the fact that almost all the homosexual advocates are enraged and screaming for Cardinal Law's head yet doing nothing about the homosexual agenda suggests they are less interested in truth and justice and more interested in attacking and attempting to silence the Church that consistently opposes and condemns thier promotion of homosexuality as anything but disordered.
I haven't heard it put together that way before, though it certainly makes sense -- and brings out a more definite reason for the Globe's tap-dancing around the whole element of homosexuality in the scandal. (I read the book that collected all the Globe articles. I don't think the word "homosexual" was mentioned -- well, maybe in one quote saying there were people trying to blame the homosexuals.)
There was some speculation around at the time that, since the Pope was quite ill then, the MSM brought out the info (word has been that they knew what was going on for years) hoping the Pope would die and the scandal would provide the momentum for a more leftist Pope.
Can sinners be forgiven?
I'm firmly convinced that the Globe wants Boston to be the start of an "American Catholic" revolution --> schism. There are some good people in VOTF, I'm sure, but I fully expect them and Call to Action and their comrades in liberalism to start a breakaway movement this decade, with priestesses and so forth.
This would be backed up the AG Reilly's report on the scandal, which breaks down number of incidents by (with some exceptions). According to his report, the peak of reported incidents was from the mid to late 60s through the 70s. They started to drop in 1984 (one of the non-decade breaks) and continued to.
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