Posts Tagged archbishop of boston
In search of Cardinal Bernard Law / WGBH-FM
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on August 5, 2015
When Bernard Cardinal Law, Archbishop of Boston, fled to the Vatican in 2002, he left behind a trail of human and financial wreckage: 550 victims abused by parish priests and court judgments that eventually topped $85 million. Meanwhile, Law was assigned a comfortable post in Rome, where he disappeared from the headlines.”
“Meanwhile, Law was assigned a comfortable post in Rome, where he disappeared from the headlines.
“Law led America’s fourth-largest archdiocese for 18 years. His reputation as a public figure peaked during Boston’s court-ordered school desegregation crisis, when the cardinal emerged as a steadying voice of sanity.
“However, as his role as the architect of the abuse cover-up emerged, first in the Boston Phoenix, then in the Boston Globe, Law was transformed into a pariah. With permission from Pope John Paul II, he resigned in 2002 ahead of the mandatory age of 75. Law was subsequently appointed head of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the most significant basilicas in Rome. He retired from that post in 2011. Where is he now? What has he been doing since then?”
By Phillip Martin, WGBH-FM — Click here to read and hear the rest of this story.
An open letter to Cardinal O’Malley / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Future of the Church, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on November 20, 2014
Earlier today we posted Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s reflections on his “60 Minutes” interview that ran this past Sunday. We see that the leaders of the Women’s Ordination Conference have responded today on Cruxnow.com regarding women’s roles in the Roman Catholic Church.
An open letter to Cardinal O’Malley
By Erin Saiz Hanna and Kate McElwee, Co-Directors, Women’s Ordination Conference
In what has already become an infamous “60 Minutes” interview, you stated to Norah O’Donnell: ‘If I were founding a church, I’d love to have women priests. But Christ founded it, and what he has given us is something different.’
As women born well after Vatican II, we are constantly asked: ‘Why would any young, educated woman choose to stay in a Church that purposefully denies her equality?’ We stay because we believe that Jesus did give us ‘something different.’ Jesus gave us the Gospel message of equality and social justice, where all people are made in God’s image and welcomed at the table.”
Reflections on my ’60 Minutes’ interview / The Boston Pilot
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Voice of the Faithful on November 20, 2014
Reflections on my ’60 Minutes’ interview
By Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, in The Boston Pilot
Last Sunday evening I was privileged to be featured on the CBS television program “60 Minutes,” which is actually three 20 minute segments. I was featured in segment two of the broadcast … From the beginning of the process I was aware that the questions would not be about the weather and the Red Sox. The program’s interviews include difficult questions that are often on many people’s minds.”
At Odds on the Church Scandal / The New York Times
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on May 9, 2014
Pope Francis’s new commission to protect minors got off to a candid start by warning that the scandal of pedophile priests has been a worldwide problem and requires reforms that hold diocesan leaders accountable. ‘In many people’s minds, it is an American problem, an Irish problem or a German problem,’ Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, a member of the commission, said after its first meeting in Rome last week (May 1-3). ‘The church has to face it is everywhere in the world.'” Editorial by The New York Times — Click here to read the rest of this editorial.
Cardinal O’Malley’s Boston archdiocesan newspaper “The Pilot” ran this Catholic News Service interview with O’Malley in its May 9 issue — “Cardinal O’Malley: Sex Abuse Panel to Stress Acocuntability, Education.”
Francis Names O’Malley to Vatican Antiabuse Panel / The Boston Globe
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on March 24, 2014
Pope Francis on Saturday named Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston and seven other figures with reputations as reformers to guide a new Vatican antiabuse commission, a move intended to demonstrate resolve about confronting the child sexual abuse scandals that have rocked Catholicism. O’Malley, already the lone American on the pope’s “G8” council of cardinal advisers, is also the lone American among the commission members announced Saturday. O’Malley’s new responsibility is not a full-time position, meaning he will not move to Rome and will continue to serve as the archbishop of Boston.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., The Boston Globe — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Also of interest — “O’Malley, Abuse Survivor Named Members of New Vatican Clergy Abuse Commission” and “25 Years into Fight Against Clergy Sex Abuse SNAP Soldiers On”
Pope Francis Establishes Commission on Protection of Minors / Vatican Radio
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 5, 2013
At the briefing on Thursday (Dec. 5) alongside the Director of the Holy See Press Office, there participated Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, member of the Council of Cardinals, who gave the following Declaration: ‘Continuing decisively along the lines undertaken by Pope Benedict XVI, and accepting a proposal presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a specific Commission for the protection of minors, with the aim of advising Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse.’” By Vatican Radio — Click here to read the rest of this announcement.
Additionally — Vatican Announces New Papal Advisory Commission on Sex Abuse from National Catholic Reporter
Archbishop Myers, Coadjutorized! / Religion News Service
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on September 25, 2013
Pope Francis’ appointment of Michigan Bishop Bernard Hebda to serve alongside John J. Myers as coadjutor archbishop of Newark might have been the first time the Vatican acted to discipline a bishop for dealing improperly with sexually abusive priests since John Paul II accepted Bernard Law’s resignation as archbishop of Boston in 2002. Coadjutors are often appointed when the Vatican wants to make clear its displeasure with a hierarch (e.g. the case of Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen of Seattle).” By Mark Silk, Religion News Service
Read the rest of Mark Silk’s commentary by clicking here.
Also of interest — “Shakeup at Newark Archdiocese Could Spell the End for Myers” and “Newark Archbishop Denies that Criticism Led to Moves.”
Cardinal O’Malley’s Transparency Efforts Applauded by VOTF’s Boston Council
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful on March 9, 2013
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, among cardinals who will elect Benedict XVI’s successor, appears to be following a better path as a diocesan leader, according to the Boston Area Council of Voice of the Faithful®. “We value the contributions he’s made in Rome so far,” said VOTFBAC chair Anne Southwood of Marshfield.
“As diocesan leader in Boston,” she said, “he has faced Catholics directly about clergy sexual abuse, about transparency in diocesan financing and about other issues that concern us deeply and has given us financial transparency.”
“Equally important,” she added, “Cardinal O’Malley has said in media interviews from Rome that policies for dealing with accused abusers should include procedures for dealing with bishops who protect abusive priests.”
O’Malley also is among American cardinals in Rome who have been forthcoming about their General Congregation meetings before the conclave. “With daily press conferences,” Southwood said, “they appeared to heed our calls for transparency and were intent on communicating with us. Although the press conferences were stopped, ostensibly to avoid another ‘Vatileaks’ scandal, we should applaud their efforts. We hope the other cardinals recognize the value of this kind of connection with Catholics at a crucial time.”
As a follow-up to Southwood’s remarks, VOTF trustee Ed Wilson offered some perspectives on hopes for the next pope. “The next pope,” he said, “must be attuned to what is valid in societal changes of the past 50 years and must listen to the voices of honest people like those who responded to the recent Pew Forum opinion sampling and The New York Time-CBS poll of U.S. Catholics. We would not expect the Vatican to accept all of the conclusions from such polls, but, as the people of God, we do expect our leaders to listen and try to understand what is valid and what can be improved. They cannot simply dismiss every new idea as ‘relativism’ or ‘secularism.’ God lives in the 21st century, too, not just the 16th century. As Americans, we ask our church leaders to observe and respect the opinions of all the faithful.”
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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