Bernard Law ( I refuse to call him Cardinal), the former archbishop of Boston who resigned in disgrace after it was discovered he covered up for pedophile priests led a mass honoring Pope Paul II. An American woman who was molested as a child went to Italy to protest and was escorted off. Bernard Law needs to be escorted somewhere himself. Hell sounds about right.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../11/rome11.TMP
Molestation victim protests Vatican service
Don Lattin, Chronicle Religion Writer
Monday, April 11, 2005
Echoes of the child sexual abuse scandal in the American Catholic Church reached Vatican City on Monday when a molestation victim appeared outside a key worship service led by Cardinal Bernard Law, the former archbishop of Boston who resigned in disgrace two years ago amid a scandal over his role in covering up the crimes of priests.
"We believe that Cardinal Law leading the liturgy only rubs salt in the wounds of American Catholics who at this moment don't need embarrassing and painful sex abuse scandal material coming into the limelight," Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of Those Abuses by Priests, said outside St. Peter's Basilica, where Law was to begin the stately mass honoring Pope Paul II.
"We believe that Cardinal Law at this time should recuse himself and not celebrate the liturgy." As Blaine spoke, two police officers ordered her off Vatican City property, pushing her and the media about eight feet, placing them outside Vatican territory and back into Italy, where she continued to speak to reporters.
The officers did not explain why they escorted Blaine off the piazza, and Blaine had no immediate comment about their actions.
Less than an hour later, Law and a procession of priests and cardinals in white and red vestments walked down the main aisle of the massive church. The mass went ahead without disruption.
Law resigned his position in Boston in December 2002 after court records showed that he had transferred known pedophile priests from parish to parish. More than 550 people have filed abuse claims in Boston in recent years, and the archdiocese has paid more than $85 million in settlements.
John Paul reassigned him to the largely honorific post of archpriest of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome last year.
It was in that position that Law led Monday's mass. The mass was the third in a series of rites inside St. Peter's Basilica this week that are part of the nine-day mourning period of the pope.
Law's homily, delivered in Italian, made no reference to the sexual abuse scandal in the United States, or his role in the controversy.
"In these incredible days, the pope continues to teach us what it means ... to be a follower of Christ," Law said, reading his homily slowly in Italian. "Our faith has been reinforced."
He also said Italian, Polish and other pilgrims were inspiring in their huge tribute of love and devotion to John Paul. Nearly 3 million mourners flooded Rome for his funeral last week.
American cardinals generally have declined to comment on Law's celebrating one of the nine daily masses for John Paul, a period of mourning called Novemdiales. But some have said the Vatican likely chose him because he leads an important church, not to give him a personal honor.
St. Mary Major is one of four basilicas under direct Vatican jurisdiction.
The assignment gives Law a position of influence. In their homilies, cardinals can highlight what they consider key concerns for the church. Observers will be analyzing the remarks for clues as to how the cardinals will vote when they begin meeting April 18 to choose a new pope.
Blaine, who arrived in Rome with another Survivors Network leader just hours before Law was to begin the mass, said Monday that the group was not opposed to Law's participation in the conclave, but that his public role in the papal transition was hurtful.
"We are the sons and daughters of the Catholic family who were raped, sodomized and sexually molested by priests," Blaine said, holding a photograph of herself as a child around the time she said a priest began molesting her.
"At this time, we should be able to focus on the Holy Father's death, instead of Cardinal Law's prominence."
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops declined comment. Law also has declined to comment through an aide at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Law has apologized for his failures.
The mass took place two days after Survivors Network activists delivered a letter to the Southern California offices of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, asking him to oppose Law's role in the nine days of papal mourning.
"Cardinal Mahony," the letter read, "we emphatically urge you to do what's right and speak out against Cardinal Law's shameless self-aggrandizing."
Mahony did not attend Monday's mass. He declined to comment about his absence.
Similar sex-abuse scandals within the Catholic church have occurred in Austria, Ireland and other countries, but have not reached the level of scrutiny as in the United States.
The abuse crisis erupted in 2002 with the case of one accused priest in Boston. It then spread nationwide, compelling American bishops to enact sweeping reforms of their discipline policy for guilty priests.
The Survivors Network, which claims hundreds of members, has spent more than a decade pressing U.S. bishops to acknowledge the scope of molestation in the church. They have picketed parishes, alerted the public to accused priests living in their communities and pressed authorities to prosecute bishops who failed to report abuse.
Asked if the protest was wrong at a time when the church is grieving, Blaine said bluntly: "The Vatican's decision to have Law celebrate the Mass was inappropriate."
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