Saturday, April 02, 2005

His Holiness

Plenty of tributes, many well-earned, will be paid to Pope John Paul II in the weeks that will follow his death. To hear another side, however, I knew I would have to rely on Christopher Hitchens, who writes of the Church's moral cowardice in dealing with its pedophile priests:

A few years ago, it seemed quite probable that Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston would have to face trial for his appalling collusion in the child-rape racket that his diocese had been running. The man had knowingly reassigned dangerous and sadistic criminals to positions where they would be able to exploit the defenseless. He had withheld evidence and made himself an accomplice, before and after the fact, in the one offense that people of all faiths and of none have most united in condemning. ...

Anyway, Cardinal Law isn't going to face a court, now. He has fled the jurisdiction and lives in Rome, where a sinecure at the Vatican has been found for him. (Actually not that much of a sinecure: As archpriest of the Rome Basilica of St. Mary Major, he also sits on two boards supervising priestly discipline—yes!—and the appointment of diocesan bishops.) Even before this, he visited Rome on at least one occasion to discuss whether or not the church should obey American law. And it has been conclusively established that the Vatican itself—including his holiness—was a part of the coverup and obstruction of justice that allowed the child-rape scandal to continue for so long.

4 Comments:

Blogger djhlights said...

I understand Hitch's overall point, but it doesn't help prove it when the notorious drunken opportunist arse doesn't do some research on what his main point and target is.

Yes, Cardinal Law is in Rome, but he is no longer the Archpriest of St. Mary Major and those are no longer his duties.

I agree with his overall point regarding the hypocrisy of the church, my church, which is the point of my irreverent post the other day. The difference is target is the church, not the man.

Still that being said I would expect Hitchens, a man who prides himself on his wit garnered through an education based in philosophy, would have the dignity to "de mortius nil nisi bonum."

A point of reference though regarding a contradictory opinion on the Pope. It's still not that hard to find a differing opinion of the Pope and the church though. You just have to know where to look. I can’t wait to hear what this fella has to say.

9:15 PM

 
Blogger Jonathan Potts said...

By last evening, a balanced discussion began to emerge. I certainly didn't mean to imply that there was a lot that was bad to say.

Hitchens' hostility to religion seems to be growing more intense. It's understandable perhaps given the influence of the religious right, but he is smart enough to know they represent a small minority of people of faith.

9:57 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There are, of course, two schools of thought on the sinecure of Law in Rome.

One, mentioned by Hitchens, is that the Cardinal needed to beat the rap in Boston, and a timely appointed to a Vatican position helped him legally leave town.

Another view might suggest that it was better to keep an eye (and a short leash) on Cardinal (Scoff)Law in Rome than allow him to float about.

If I recall, he's no longer at St. Mary Major, but installed with the Paulists/Cistercians at Santa Susanna (see www.santasusanna.org/ourUniqueHistory/cardinals.html).

One would assume he isn't moving many child-raping nuns from one part of the Cistercian Community to the other.

By the way, it's not well known, but the Cistercian nuns saved the lives of 22 Jewish women during WWII by taking them into the Vatican and frocking them in habits so that the Blackshirts and Gestapo couldn't find them.

Perhaps Law's assignment was meant to remind him of the godly qualities of these women.

Another interesting note: John Allen, Jr., the wonderful Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, heads the Social Action Committee for St. Susanna's Parish Council.

Certainly outspoken about the American church's coverups during a laissez faire era of child molestation, Allen would be the perfect foil to follow Law around the order. I can't help but think the Pope took some humor from this.

Ironically, however, Law's age will allow him to cast a vote for the new pope.

2:37 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There are, of course, two schools of thought on the sinecure of Law in Rome.

One, mentioned by Hitchens, is that the Cardinal needed to beat the rap in Boston, and a timely appointed to a Vatican position helped him legally leave town.

Another view might suggest that it was better to keep an eye (and a short leash) on Cardinal (Scoff)Law in Rome than allow him to float about.

If I recall, he's no longer at St. Mary Major, but installed with the Paulists/Cistercians at Santa Susanna (see www.santasusanna.org/ourUniqueHistory/cardinals.html).

One would assume he isn't moving many child-raping nuns from one part of the Cistercian Community to the other.

By the way, it's not well known, but the Cistercian nuns saved the lives of 22 Jewish women during WWII by taking them into the Vatican and frocking them in habits so that the Blackshirts and Gestapo couldn't find them.

Perhaps Law's assignment was meant to remind him of the godly qualities of these women.

Another interesting note: John Allen, Jr., the wonderful Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, heads the Social Action Committee for St. Susanna's Parish Council.

Certainly outspoken about the American church's coverups during a laissez faire era of child molestation, Allen would be the perfect foil to follow Law around the order. I can't help but think the Pope took some humor from this.

Ironically, however, Law's age will allow him to cast a vote for the new pope.

2:37 PM

 

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