Pharisee(s) of the Week
Cardinal Bernard Law (and the Vatican leaders who selected him to lead a Mass honoring JPII):

VATICAN CITY -- Leaders of an advocacy group for victims of clergy sexual abuse said yesterday they were flying to Rome to protest the Vatican's choice of Cardinal Bernard Law to celebrate an important Mass mourning Pope John Paul II.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Law's presence was painful to victims and embarrassing to Catholics. Law resigned as archbishop of Boston in December 2002 after unsealed court records revealed he had allowed priests guilty of abusing children to move among parish assignments and had not notified the public.

Tomorrow, he will lead one of the nine daily Masses for the pope at Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica, the church where John Paul appointed him archpriest. Network representatives plan to be there to distribute fliers on how Law mishandled abuse cases.

''We certainly do not want to cause any additional pain or suffering to anyone attending the memorial service for the Holy Father," Barbara Blaine, the group's founder, said from Chicago. ''Our concern is that many Catholics going there don't know the history with Cardinal Law, and that's why we want to inform them."

For those of you who may have forgotten the details, here's a link to Cardinal Law's deposition testimony in the civil case brought by victims of priests against the Boston Archdiocese and a brief summary of events surrounding the subpoena of Cardinal Law by the Boston DA's office, his resignation and subsequent preferential treatment by JPII and the Vatican.

This is a man who deserves no honor, no prestige, no power, yet has them all within the confines of the Vatican. This is why I can never respect the Catholic Church and those who profess to follow its teachings. The sins of those disgusting priests who used their position of spiritual authority to prey on innocent children is on the hands of all its leaders. The fact that Cardinal Law is obviously still held in high esteem by the Vatican is a slap in the face to all victims of priest sexual abuse, and is evidence that the Church has not learned its lesson, and has no intention of changing its ways.

If you had any doubt as to the type of man Cardinal Law is, this should lay it to rest. In response to the civil suit brought by, among others, victim Greg Ford (who was abused by Father Paul Shanley beginning when he was only six years old) , Cardinal Law approved the filing of an Answer which plead contributory negligence as one of its defenses:

"And further answering, the defendant says the plaintiffs were not in the exercise of due care, but, rather, the negligence of the plaintiffs contributed to cause the injury or damage complained of; wherefore, the recovery of the plaintiffs is barred in whole or in part or is subject to diminution."

Yes, that's right. They attempted to claim that a 6-year old child was in some way responsible for the abuse perpetrated upon him. Cardinal Law is a despicable human being. Jesus would have thrown him out of the temple in a friggin' heartbeat.

And that's why he's our Pharisee of the Week.
- posted by TJ @ 4:31 PM