During last century, there was no convincing evidence of any consistent pattern of clerical abuse, still less of a sustained attempt by the church to cover up such behavior – by simply moving priests on without informing the authorities. At the beginning of the 21st century, the question about sexual scandals in the church finally raised and victims started to discover the secrets that have been torturing them for years. Cardinal Bernard Law, who was forced to resign in 2002 as archbishop of Boston over a sex-abuse scandal after a two-decade reign as one of the highest-ranking Catholic officials in the United States, has died at 86, news media reported. The funeral will be held on Thursday at St Peter’s Basilica.
According to the Boston Globe’s released reports in 2002, Law had transferred sexually abusive clergy among parish assignments for years without alerting parents or police. The Globe’s reporting of the story became the subject of an Oscar-winning film, Spotlight.
“It is my fervent prayer that this action may help the archdiocese of Boston to experience the healing, reconciliation and unity which are so desperately needed,” Law said when he stepped down as head of the Boston archdiocese in December of that year. “To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and mistakes, I both apologize and from them beg forgiveness.”
When he became the church’s central figure, he was a man who promises, the Harvard-educated orthodox theologian was tailor-made to lead the Catholic stronghold. Law served as archbishop of Boston from 1984 until his resignation in December 13, 2002 and documents show he immediately became embroiled in the priest sex abuse scandal, when he received a letter from a bishop expressing concerns about Rev. John Geoghan — a priest later convicted of abusing children who was eventually murdered in prison.
A Boston attorney who has represented dozens of people who say they were sexually abused by priests said Law’s death has reopened old wounds. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian said that “many victims are reminded of the pain.” Garabedian said Law “turned his back on innocent children and allowed them to be sexually abused”.
In 2013, Pope Francis created a commission to help the church tackle abuse and set new policies to ensure that bishops and other leaders would be held accountable if they sought to protect pedophile priests. The Commission for the Protection of Minors has faced intense criticism – including from two abuse survivors and former commission members who have resigned in protest – for not doing enough. Pope Francis did not reference the abuse scandal in his statement on Law’s passing, saying that he prayed that God “who is rich in mercy” may welcome Law in “His eternal peace”.
Photo Credits: Wikimedia
