Anger over Catholic Church's endorsement of Archbishop of Boston
Vatican City --
ELEANOR HALL: In the United States, child abuse is also in the headlines with many American Catholics incensed that the disgraced former Archbishop of Boston is leading a memorial mass for the Pope in Rome.
Cardinal Bernard Law was forced to resign as Archbishop of Boston because he permitted priests known to have sexually abused minors to be moved from parish to parish instead of being charged or disciplined.
His critics say he was interested only in protecting the Church from scandal and not in protecting children. And they're now accusing the Vatican of turning its back on the victims as well.
This report from our North America Correspondent John Shovelan.
(Sounds of choir)
JOHN SHOVELAN: Former Boston Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law celebrated mass in mourning for Pope John Paul in St Peter's Basilica. It was one of nine memorial masses for the Pope and it left many American Catholics, and in particular victims of sexual abuse by priests, feeling that the Vatican was once again ignoring their suffering and protest.
BARBARA BLAINE: At this time, Cardinal Law is being put in a position of prominence here in Rome and we believe it's just basically rubbing salt into already open wounds. At this time, Catholics are grieving all over the world and we believe that at this time, that we don't need to be bringing focus on the sex abuse scandal.
JOHN SHOVELAN: Barbara Blaine, a victim herself, is President of the Survivors Network for those abused by Priests, and travelled to Rome to protest Cardinal Law's celebration of the mass. Cardinal Law as Archbishop, was named in hundreds of lawsuits alleging sexual assault and rape by clergy in his Archdiocese over a period of many years.
More than 550 people have filed abuse claims in Boston alone and the Archdiocese has paid more that $US 120 million in settlements. Court documents showed that as Boston's Archbishop, Cardinal Law merely shuffled sexual predators from parish to parish in an effort to keep it quiet.
VOX POP 1: He did not defend the children. He defended the Church.
Read the article at abc.net.au Dated April 12, 2005
Search the web for this article
ELEANOR HALL: In the United States, child abuse is also in the headlines with many American Catholics incensed that the disgraced former Archbishop of Boston is leading a memorial mass for the Pope in Rome.
Cardinal Bernard Law was forced to resign as Archbishop of Boston because he permitted priests known to have sexually abused minors to be moved from parish to parish instead of being charged or disciplined.
His critics say he was interested only in protecting the Church from scandal and not in protecting children. And they're now accusing the Vatican of turning its back on the victims as well.
This report from our North America Correspondent John Shovelan.
(Sounds of choir)
JOHN SHOVELAN: Former Boston Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law celebrated mass in mourning for Pope John Paul in St Peter's Basilica. It was one of nine memorial masses for the Pope and it left many American Catholics, and in particular victims of sexual abuse by priests, feeling that the Vatican was once again ignoring their suffering and protest.
BARBARA BLAINE: At this time, Cardinal Law is being put in a position of prominence here in Rome and we believe it's just basically rubbing salt into already open wounds. At this time, Catholics are grieving all over the world and we believe that at this time, that we don't need to be bringing focus on the sex abuse scandal.
JOHN SHOVELAN: Barbara Blaine, a victim herself, is President of the Survivors Network for those abused by Priests, and travelled to Rome to protest Cardinal Law's celebration of the mass. Cardinal Law as Archbishop, was named in hundreds of lawsuits alleging sexual assault and rape by clergy in his Archdiocese over a period of many years.
More than 550 people have filed abuse claims in Boston alone and the Archdiocese has paid more that $US 120 million in settlements. Court documents showed that as Boston's Archbishop, Cardinal Law merely shuffled sexual predators from parish to parish in an effort to keep it quiet.
VOX POP 1: He did not defend the children. He defended the Church.
Read the article at abc.net.au Dated April 12, 2005
posted by God Almighty Himself at 5:20 AM
Translate this post:
Spanish | Italian | French | German | Portuguese | Chinese | Korean | Japanese
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home