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Disgraced American Bishop was honored guest at Ireland’s Vatican Embassy

Boston’s Cardinal Bernard Law attended major functions there in 2011

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 7:16 AM

Updated Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 10:55 AM

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US Cardinal Bernard Law

Photo by AP

A shamed American cleric was wined and dined at the Irish embassy in the Vatican – less than 10 years after he was forced to resign as Archbishop of Boston in a clerical sex abuse scandal.

Cardinal Bernard Law attended a number of farewell parties for Irish and British diplomats at the Embassy, recently closed down by the Dublin government.

A row is still ongoing in Ireland over the decision to shut the embassy to the Holy See with Fine Gael back-benchers campaigning to reverse the ruling.

Now the news that Cardinal Law was regularly feted at the embassy has caused outrage amongst support groups for those abused by Catholic Church clerics in Ireland.

The Irish Independent previously released details of the three largest parties thrown by the Irish ambassador at the 17th century mansion in Rome.

Now its sister paper, the Belfast Telegraph, has outlined details of Cardinal Law’s presence at a number of big bashes thrown at the venue.

He resigned after 18 years as Archbishop of Boston in 2002 when decades of child abuse by the clergy was exposed in his diocese.

The disgraced Cardinal was then put in charge of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, a prestigious position he held until last November.

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Now 81, Cardinal Law was heavily criticised in the report into child abuse in the Boston diocese, which found that offending priests were transferred from parish to parish where they were able to abuse again.

Like the Cloyne Report in Ireland, the Boston document was critical that the hierarchy, led by Cardinal Law, seemed more concerned with the church’s reputation than protecting children.

Records which Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs tried to keep secret now show that Cardinal Law was a frequent guest at the Vatican embassy.

In 2011 alone, he attended farewell functions for the Irish and British ambassadors but was unable to attend a St Patrick’s night celebration.

Cardinal Law was accompanied to one dinner by Monsignor Paul McInerny, his secretary in Boston in the 1990s.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: “Cardinal Law was invited to the events because he was a senior member of the Roman Curia who, in his professional capacity, was regularly invited to functions organised by members of the diplomatic corps to the Holy See.

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exbreese | Feb 27, 2012, 03:25 PM EST

Kilgore, I agree that one should be considered innocent until proven guilty. (In most cases that is). But not when one has those with the power to whisk them away to the Vatican so that they don't have to face a court of law. If he were innocent, don't you think he would have wanted his day in court to clear his name???? Since this wasn't the case, he must be guilty as charged.

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joeustace | Feb 27, 2012, 10:32 AM EST

Sitting there in Rome, beyond the reach of American justice,he reminds me of Michael Corleone hiding out in Sicily. If anything he said he believed is true, he is in trouble soon.

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ciaradexy | Feb 22, 2012, 05:18 PM EST

Its lovely to see a man of the cloth who claims to spread the word of god wearing fancy garb worth thousands being wined and dined at a cost of 10s of thousands throughout the year. Brilliant! Do as i say not as I do there lads! I dont recall Jesus having a fancy wardrobe, foreign holidays and a massive house to live in while those he preached to lived in poverty and squalor.

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Collette2 | Feb 22, 2012, 12:28 PM EST

Your speaking for me to Intercesor, thanks. FatherJohn2 needs a wake up call.

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kilgara | Feb 22, 2012, 12:13 PM EST

Was this man ever even charged with any crime? If not, who are these self-righteous Catholic bashers who condemn someone based upon outrageously biased media reports? One of the basic tenents of our society is INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY,and if you don't afford this presumtion to this bishop or anyone else then you are a HYPOCRITE and UNAMERICAN.

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Alexisfernandez | Feb 22, 2012, 10:45 AM EST

my friend's aunt makes $80 every hour on the internet. She has been out of work for 8 months but last month her check was $8721 just working on the internet for a few hours. Here's the site to read more... LazyCash10.com

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hollabackgurl | Feb 22, 2012, 01:17 AM EST

They say you get the face you deserve. He sure did.

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Intercessor | Feb 21, 2012, 10:06 PM EST

FrJohn2: I disagree with your comment! The Church always tries to shift "the locus of child abuse to the family," and by doing so She is basically saying, "What priests have done in over a hundred thousand of cases of child abuse, world wide, isn't so bad!" The Church has no defense, and by defending Her you are perpetrating the myth that "Only a miniscule number of priests and nuns have committed abuse!" The ONLY way this insult to the People of God will be remedies is when the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican is made to stand before World Court and defend Herself against Crimes Against Humanity! May God hasten the day!

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Intercessor | Feb 21, 2012, 09:59 PM EST

"What do I think? I think I want to SCREAM every time I see a picture of Cardinal Law!! Thank God that the good people of Ireland, like all of Boston, can see through the sham of Cardinal Law being elevated and glorified by the Vatican for his role in the Priest Pedopohilia Scandal. His career should have ended in shame and in prison, rather than a promotion to Rome! The simple fact that Cardinal Law is not in prison and was whisked out of the States by the Vatican before he would have gone to trial shows how little the Vatican respects the worldwide "Body of Christ!" Every time I see his picture, I think, "What a disgrace and outrage!" How could Rome continue to rub our noses in you know what!!!!!!!!

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pilib04 | Feb 21, 2012, 07:46 PM EST

Bernard Cardinal Law should be in prison. He should have been in prison 10 years ago. He certainly should be there now. What a disgusting pervert! Shame on our Church for protecting this pathetic excuse for a human.

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pilib04 | Feb 21, 2012, 07:45 PM EST

BGAndersson comments about a famous Irish American president. Presumably BG is talking about the only President to resign in shame and ignominy, Richard "Tricky Dick" Milhous Nixon.

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Robbie69 | Feb 21, 2012, 07:11 PM EST

Instead of eating fine dinners at the Irish embassy, Cardinal Law should have been eating prison grub for all the years he obstructed justice and helped pedophile-priests escape prosecution. The man is a criminal, and I fully support closing the embassy, if this is part of what happens there. It is shameful to allow this "persona non grata" the full privileges as if he had done no wrong.

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merefalow | Feb 21, 2012, 06:55 PM EST

its sickening,these people are depraved, unrepentant,arrogant,and certainly not good or holy men,how long does this sort of thing go on for.unbelievable arrogance,the buck should stop at the top,it does,nt,there is no outrage,no indication of the enormity,nothing to condemn and spurn the people within their organisation.sickening complacency.

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FrJohn2 | Feb 21, 2012, 03:45 PM EST

Maybe we should all learn no to pre-judge others' guilts and focus a bit more on the locus of the majority of child abuse ~ in the family and no less likely in clergy ~ admitting that how we choose leaders from the ranks of safe, tame and dull people has not served the Church or the Gospel very well.

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barneyjo | Feb 21, 2012, 03:19 PM EST

I am forced to conclude, that this man is a Sociopath, devoid of both conscience and any awareness of the harm that he did and the lives that he runined during his tenure in Boston. Its as if he has moved on with no backward look. What troubles me is that Bernard Law is not the first I have seen to act in such a manner. Cardinal Brady in Ireland, adopted the same indifferent stance to history and his part in it, He wanted to move on; to be a "wounded healer" (his words) I dont know if its to do with formation in the Priesthood, or what happens in Religious life, but I find the avoidance of responsibility on the part of both these men to be disquieting and absolutely disgraceful. My only consolation is my belief that they WILL answer for what they did (or didnt) to protect vulnerable children, sooner or later!!

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