Disgraced cardinal Bernard Law died today in Rome aged 86 of undisclosed sources.

Law escaped prosecution in America and remained protected in the secret Vatican state up until his death.

He leaves thousands of victims previously preyed upon by pervert priests years ago in America. They sadly are still seeking justice.

Bernard Law was born on 4th November 1931 in New Mexico; he was the son of an air force officer.

Ordained in 1961, he would make bishop in 1973; for his motto on his coat of arms, he chose ‘to live is Christ.’ How inappropriate!

During the 1960s he was active in the civil rights movement and officially was pro-life. Yet he remained opposed to the ordination of women priests in his church. He also encouraged Episcopalian priests to come over to Rome. This would help as it did in England to alleviate the shortage of priests in both countries.

He naturally supported and encouraged the growth of the evil ecumenical movement.

He visited Cuba twice and met Castro.

For the publication of the new Catholic catechism, he arranged the first draft in English.

He found time to offer his own personal thoughts on Freemasonry saying: “Active participation is incompatible with Christian (catholic) faith and practice.”  Yet his church has never officially echoed this.

Of his views on other secret societies, I do not know.

Law arrived in Boston in 1985. It was then the third/fourth largest Catholic community in America. Then began the winter of his discontent.

History reminds us of ‘the Boston Tea Party.’ Good news for the Americans, bad news for the English!

But of the emotional harm inflicted upon the innocent children of the Catholic church in Massachusetts, it should I suggest be remembered and renamed as the ‘Boston perverts party,’ and how colluding priests and a powerful hierarchy were almost able to escape their evil deeds. And presiding over much of this was the lord of the dance himself, Bernard Law.

Much has been written and still will be of the 600+ victims abused by numerous religious ‘fathers’ for over a quarter of a century in Boston. And with an estimated 85 million dollars grudgingly paid out to victims by the Boston archdiocese. The financial cost can only continue to spiral.

In 2004 Law took up residence in Rome. There he was appointed by pope John Paul II to serve on seven Vatican congregations. And solely existing, we are informed, on a comfortable stipend of $12,000 a month.

Although far from home Law still heads the list of ‘America’s worst bishops,’ see their website for other names. But in Boston, the daily dance of lasting recriminations sadly continues, yet from a silent church, many weeping victims still wait for a cry of genuine repentance!

One of the first acts pope Francis did after entering the Vatican was to visit a local church in Rome where he met the disgraced cardinal, who had some connection with the building. Reports are vague of what actually happened in this private meeting. Some claimed it was an amicable old boy meeting with some catching up time for them, which seems probable. However, other sources claim the pope insisted that Law is re-housed in a monastery out of town and quickly.

This rather reminds us of the ‘punishment’ that the late cardinal Groer had proscribed to him by the Vatican Curia after his sexual proclivities came to the notice of the Austrian police and the media.

Commenting on this meeting, Ms Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishops Accountability.org, said: “It was a truly unfortunate first step on the pope’s part.”

Unfortunate, but certainly not unexpected we say!

 

GPB

16th November 2006/20th December 2017

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