Mayor in Spain removes cross from convent, throws it in dump
- Jan 25, 2021
After the sex abuse crisis began, protocols were put into place and now all U.S. dioceses and eparchies undergo independent audits of their current sexual abuse policies and practices and give detailed reports on complaints against their clergy since 1950.
While there are key differences, the sexual harassment detailed in today’s headlines shares the same well-worn themes that made it so hard for many clergy abuse victims to come forward more than a decade ago: fear of retribution and disbelief, impossible power dynamics and confidential settlements that bury complaints.
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, in response to a question on whether he can forgive Cardinal Law, said that “forgiveness is what Christianity is all about, and that doesn’t make it easy.”
Many Americans may question the Vatican’s decision to stage a funeral Mass for Cardinal Bernard Law on Thursday, but there are at least four reasons why they went ahead.
Responding to the death of Cardinal Bernard Law, the disgraced former archbishop of Boston who became the face of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, proved to be a tightrope act for U.S. Church leaders attempting to balance principles of Christian mercy with an appropriate response to the survivors of sexual abuse.
Before an unusually small congregation of mourners, a funeral Mass for Cardinal Bernard Law was celebrated behind the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday afternoon.