Posted on 04/29/2002 6:32:07 AM PDT by Dallas
BOSTON --
Cardinal Bernard Law said Sunday that the creation of a national policy on sexually abusive priests would have to wait until a Catholic bishops conference, dashing hopes for immediate action stemming from the recent summit of cardinals.
"As a group of cardinal archbishops, we were able to say that there were certain things that we felt we would like to bring to that June meeting," Law told the congregation at the beginning of Mass at Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross. "We were not there to make decisions."
Cardinals across the country are reporting back after a two-day gathering in Rome, where they agreed they would recommend a process to defrock any priest who has become "notorious and is guilty of the serial, predatory sexual abuse of minors."
During the short statement, Law did not address calls for his resignation. But he referred to himself and his fellow priests as "wounded healers."
"These are not easy days to serve in the pastoral role that is mine," Law said during the special Mass dedicated to hope and healing.
"All of us are wounded healers," he said. "And when we remember that, we are able to be the people that we should be... When we are not that, we degenerate into anger and division. And that's not who we are. That's not who God calls us to be."
Law also called for a special day of prayer about the sexual abuse crisis, to be held during the Pentecostal celebrations, which start May 10.
Appearing on morning news shows Sunday, U.S. cardinals who attended the Vatican meeting last week indicated there still was no agreement on whether clergymen accused of sexual abuse should be expelled from the priesthood.
Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the Washington Archdiocese said he supported ousting any priest accused in the future but said the cardinals were divided about whether the policies should apply to past allegations.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said there still needs to be some discussion on the "one strike and you're out" approach. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," he said "mandated sentences" may not be the answer and that cardinals needed some discretion.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, at its June meeting in Dallas, is expected to vote on whether to approve a national policy that will be binding on every diocese.
The sex abuse scandal began enveloping the church in January after revelations that the Archdiocese of Boston had shuttled now-defrocked priest John Geoghan from parish to parish despite repeated allegations that he was a pedophile.
Geoghan has been accused of abusing more than 130 children, and is serving a nine- to 10-year prison sentence for abuse.
The calls for Law's resignation increased this month with the release of 1,600 archdiocese documents that reveal the Rev. Paul Shanley's involvement with the North American Man-Boy Love Association.
In civil lawsuits, the former "street priest" has been charged with repeatedly raping young boys during his tenure at a Newton parish in the 1980s.
Law has denied that his resignation was discussed at the Vatican and, through a spokeswoman, said he will not be leaving the archdiocese prior to a scheduled June 5 deposition in a civil suit filed by one of Shanley's alleged victims.
About two dozens protesters picketed outside the Boston Cathedral Sunday in rainy, cold weather. To enter the church, parishioners had to find their way through the protesters, police and the media.
"They don't see the good side of Cardinal Law," said Brother James Curren of the Little Brothers of St. Francis in Roxbury, a Catholic order. "A lot of people have made mistakes in judgment. No one defends the priests who committed sins."
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On the Net:
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston: http://www.rcab.org/
Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press
Arrogant is a better word...
He also thinks he's the victim.
Becky
True, but so what? The Pope does tell the bishops what to do. Or, at least he is supposed to, if he's doing his job. Which he's not. There's been plenty of stories posted about financial misconduct, too. He isn't enforcing any discipline at any level in any area.
John Paul II should have retired. There's not much precedent for it, it last happened in the late 1800s. Everyone would have had good memories of his last days as pope if he had bowed out at the top. Now he may go down as a bad pope.
So, back to the topic. It depends on the meaning of "notoriety" I suppose. Does that mean 1 complaint (apparently not), 10, 100, until it hits the papers? Until 1 lawsuit is filed? 100? How many kids have to be goosed before the priest is cooked?
And where are the prosecutors and police in all this? I can't believe this is the first they've heard of it. The Wanderer has been hollering about this for years.
So far, stuff from this last ten years has been mostly unheard from. I can't believe nothing has happened in the last 10 years.
I have been criticized for speaking out against Cardinal Law. I happen to be a loyal Catholic, and I am not joining the stampede to condemn the Church. I realize that the Boston press is distorting the situation and using it for its own purposes--namely, to weaken or (they wish) destroy the Catholic Church. They will not succeed in doing so. But many souls will be damaged by this scandal, and Cardinal Law is continuing to play right into the hands of the liberal manipulators. He seems to be more concerned about himself than the welfare of the flock he was chosen to shepherd.
I've said before that I don't think Cardinal Law is a bad man. But he has certainly shown himself to be spineless in the face of liberal dissent. I agree with those who think there is something badly wrong here, although I don't know what it is.
Well, I suppose the note in the collection envelope could read " A gift in memory of the Catholic Church has been made to **St. Vincent de Paul|New Oxford Review|Pregnancy Services|Operation Rescue|Salvation Army|your favorite charity** in the amount of **your tithe**.
Let's face it, the youth of the Catholic Church has fled to the separated sects, I should know, I am one of the refugees. Time to face down this problem, the Church as a going concern continue this way.
By the way, the daughter of Alexander Borgia was Lucretia Borgia. She used to build mountains out the the skulls of her murdered victims. There have been abuses before.
Now they are going to deside:
How many times can a priest do perverted act before he is defrocked. Will it be One, Two, Five, Ten, etc.
This Law is unbelieveable. He says that the unknowing parents and the little children are as much to blame as the perverts who performed the acts.
The only problem with this is that the parents did'nt know what was going on and the children were not mature enough is understand.
The ones who knew were hiding those facts until they were caught and then paid the parents to be quiet. Then they sent the pervert to some other area to continue there perverted acts.
What really galls me is that they are still pretending that they did nothing wrong, except that they got caught. In the meantime they will stand in the front of the church and have the nerve to say a mass.
It's time for the Pope to have the garbage removed from the church, let the sunshine fill the dark recesses and let the fresh air blow the stink away.
"Law, do us all a favor just go away where you can not cause any more heartaches to children or their parents".
Oh that sent chills through me.
I personally recommend redirecting offerings to Priests for Life, EWTN, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, the Sisters of Life (in NYC), Nashville Dominicans, the Dominican Sisters of the Mary Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI.....
St. Catherine of Siena, Reformer and Renewer of the Church, pray for us.
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