April 10, 2005

Law’s presence to draw protestors

VATICAN CITY
The Union Leader

By RACHEL ZOLL
The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Leaders of an advocacy group for victims of clergy sexual abuse said yesterday they were flying to Rome to protest the Vatican’s choice of Cardinal Bernard Law to celebrate an important Mass mourning Pope John Paul II.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Law’s presence was painful to victims and embarrassing to Catholics. Law resigned as archbishop of Boston in December 2002 after unsealed court records revealed he had allowed priests guilty of abusing children to move among parish assignments and had not notified the public.

Tomorrow, he will lead one of the nine daily Masses for the pope at Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica, the church where John Paul appointed him archpriest. Survivors Network representatives plan to be there to distribute fliers on how Law mishandled abuse cases.

Posted by kshaw at April 10, 2005 03:14 AM