Conflict and Anger at Farewell Mass for Archbishop

San Francisco, California --

Protesters marched outside St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco as Archbishop William Levada celebrated a farewell Mass to mark his departure for Rome.

Levada was appointed by Pope Benedict to serve as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Ratzinger had served in that same office until being selected as Pope. Levada is the highest-ranking American clergyman in the church's history.

Angry words were exchanged outside the church as parishioners were confronted by dozens of protesters wearing t-shirts that read, "It's a sin. Stop the cover-up."

The archbishop, who has led the San Francisco diocese for the last decade, has been criticized for covering up or ignoring instances where pedophiles misused their authority as priests to molest children.

Before the Mass, Levada was served a subpoena to testify in Oregon in a case involving child sexual abuse by priests in the Portland area.

Cookie Gambucci, whose brother is one of the plaintiffs in the Portland case, served the court papers on Levada. She told KCBS reporter Tim Ryan the archbishop called her "a disgrace to the Catholic church."

"That's what he said. Now I'm thinking about all the priests that have abused all those little kids, including my brother," said Gambucci, "and I'm thinking, let's define disgrace to the church."

"It was pretty sickening to hear that from a bishop who is hiding all of these people that are doing all of this abuse," she said.

She had tried unsuccessfully on several other occasions to serve Levada with papers.

Read the article at CBS 5 Dated August 7, 2005

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