April 08, 2005

Pope's funeral Mass spawns anger

The Times-Picayune

Friday, April 08, 2005
By Steve Chambers
Newhouse News Service

When Cardinal Bernard Law resigned in disgrace as archbishop of Boston, many in the Catholic reform movement were angry that he was transferred to an important position in Rome.

Thursday, the announcement that Law would celebrate one of nine official Masses to mourn Pope John Paul II introduced a bit of negative press to what has been a week of worldwide adulation.

The anger was the rawest in Boston and in the broader community of sex-abuse survivors, who blame Law for protecting predators and contributing to the parade of victims.

"Out of respect and compassion for the victims, he should have disqualified himself from these important Vatican committees he sits on and, at this juncture, he shouldn't be actively seeking the limelight," said David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "It just rubs salt into these deep wounds."

The cauldron started bubbling on Sunday, when Law was interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on ABC-TV. But it reached a boiling point Thursday, when the announcement was made about the Mass.

Posted by kshaw at April 8, 2005 09:06 AM