Controversial former Boston archbishop Cardinal Bernard F. Law reportedly pressed the Vatican to investigate the largest association of Catholic nuns in the United States, according to Boston.com.
On April 18, the Vatican announced its initiative to ensure U.S. nuns conform to Church doctrine.
The Vatican has accused the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which is based in Silver Spring, Md., and represents about 57,000 nuns, of undermining Roman Catholic teaching on the priesthood and homosexuality.
Robert Mickens, a columnist for The Tablet, a British Catholic weekly, reported that the Vatican's crackdown was petitioned by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori and that Law was "the person in Rome most forcefully supporting Bishop Lori's proposal."
However, Lori has denied the accusation in a statement issued to the Globe on Friday through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“Bishop Lori did not petition the CDF to conduct the current doctrinal assessment of the [Leadership Conference of Women Religious], nor would it have been appropriate for him to do so," the statement said.
Other reports from Sandro Magister, writing in an Italian publication, and John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter have indicated that Lori and Law used their influence to help initiate the Vatican’s actions against the nuns.
And in a second statement to the Globe, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops appeared to at least partially confirm those reports, saying that Lori, when he was chairman of the US bishop’s doctrine committee in 2008, fielded complaints about US nuns and provided the Vatican with copies of speeches then on the nuns’ website.
Also, both Magister and Mickens, traced the Vatican’s effort to exercise greater control over US nuns to 2008, when a committee on which Law served began an audit of Catholic women’s religious orders.
Sister Annmarie Sanders, a spokeswoman for the nun's organization, said they know little about the origins of the Vatican's action.
Law resigned as Boston's archbishop in 2002 after articles in the Globe reported that he had allowed priests accused of sexually molesting children to continue serving in parish ministries.
Vatican watchers in the States say that Law's influence in Rome has been underestimated.
“Until last year when he turned 80, Cardinal Law was active on a number of the Vatican’s most influential congregations, and that has allowed him to assert his views on a wide range of church issues,’’ said Richard Gaillardetz, a theology professor at Boston College.
Since turning 80, Law has relinquished his seats on all Vatican congregations, but Gaillardetz says he believes Law will continue to be an influence in Rome.
“The fact that he steps down from those congregations doesn’t mean someone isn’t having a cappuccino with him to talk about the next appointment in the United States,’’ Gaillardetz said. “He can play an enormous role."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.bunkerisland | Oct 21, 2012, 09:45 PM EDT
Law is a devious and ill old man who has been protected by the Vatican for decades. He now seems to have more authority than when in the States. The Vatican appears to be controlled by a large group of old white male bigots who seek to retain their control while others prepare their meals, wash their clothes and clean up after them. This soon will end!
KatieMurphy | Jun 05, 2012, 07:54 PM EDT
Law is simply the devil Satan in disguise. Given that many kids committed wuicides or had their lives ruined - I've met some - male and female, its too bad in such extreme cases thtat those responsible for letting this problem continue for so long, probably since priests couldnt marry anymore after about 1009, he shoujld face total EXcommunication in a public ceremony and then be handed over in chaines in pubblic to the FBI in the USA as the molester in chief of an estiamted 100,000 kids............Wonder what his punishment should be -sometimes you really have to send a message to the hierarchy like we pretty much ended Kidnapping for money long age............But dont expect any change. Ratzi has filled the curia and college of cardinals with his own kind. Reminds me of Saddam Husein whose mad 2 boys were in line to take over until our troops delivered t hem to hell...........the only thing good about Ratzi is that he is the real beginning of the end of the VAtican poweer..............We've done a good job in the west in getting rid of absolutists - my way or the highway kings. Time to do the same with those who think they are God and act like most kings of old
pilib04 | May 22, 2012, 09:50 PM EDT
This man is a hateful pig. He should be tried for his crimes against children.
Collette2 | May 07, 2012, 09:16 PM EDT
Another instance of papal dispensation to protect the heirarchy, he should be locked up and key thrown away. I bet the sisters were well aware of his antics long ago, now it's time for retribution,that's how it works.
eiriamach | May 07, 2012, 08:33 PM EDT
I don't know what to believe. Fugitive from American justice Cardinal Law is a perfect scapegoat for the US bishops, who have obviously brought down the wrath of the Vatican heretic hunters on the US sisters. But the CDF and Vatican culture are directly responsible for the completely subordinated, closely supervised and censored position that the sisters are in now.
jamieLM | May 07, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT
I'm no fan of Cardinal Law - not with his record in dealing with priests who were involved in child sex abuse. Nervy of him to be looking at the "sins" of others when his own behavior is less than stellar.
McNamara31 | May 07, 2012, 10:09 AM EDT
Law investigating the nuns...I almost lost my breakfast this morning, upon reading this article. In 2002, if Boston had had a Diarmuid Martin or a politician equal to Enda Kenny with a willingness to take on the Vatican; can you imagine the difference it would have made to the victims of abuse and the millions of catholic who have become disgusted with Vatican policy and are leaving in droves. Law was complicit in all the obstruction that occurred during the investigations in Boston and was rewarded for that obstruction by Benedict. Now Law takes it on to critique and criticizes frontline Christians (Nuns) who actually do some actual good rather than living in fine castles and playing political games with peoples’ souls. Sickening.
tempranillo | May 06, 2012, 10:10 PM EDT
Sean—please recognize the sarcasm of my original post. Now, let me ask a very serious question. Why cannot there be room for different types of nuns and/or brothers. Why must it be that nuns cannot do what some of these women do. What is so wrong about their helping others in communal fashiom in the name of Christ? In other words, the roman atholic church had an opportunity to praise their sacrifices and be on the side of those without. But, seemingly, no interest in that. with respect to vote, are catholics told how to vote?
tempranillo | May 06, 2012, 10:08 PM EDT
Sean—please recognize the sarcasm of my original post. Now, let me ask a very serious question. Why cannot there be room for different types of nuns and/or brothers. Why must it be that nuns cannot do what some of these women do. What is so wrong about their helping others in communal fashiom in the name of Christ? In other words, the roman atholic church had an opportunity to praise their sacrifices and be on the side of those without. But, seemingly, no interest in that.
Seanmor | May 06, 2012, 08:17 PM EDT
I don't agree with Temp's description of U.S. nuns, but it seems that in the last presidential election a majority of their number voted for the candidate who supports the killing of the unborn, same-sex unions and free contraceptives for young women employed by the R.C. Church.Why don't we ever hear a word about the great nuns of the past, such as Limerick native Sr. Anthony O'Connell who served as a nurse for the Union Army and treated the wounded of BOTH SIDES with great skill and compassion?
tempranillo | May 06, 2012, 07:56 PM EDT
barneyjo-- I am afraid you are correct....
barneyjo | May 06, 2012, 06:32 PM EDT
@tempranillo - Oh Tempranillo, you aint seen nuthin yet!!! :)
tempranillo | May 06, 2012, 04:09 PM EDT
I am so glad that his holy eminence has the courage to stand up to them bleeding heart tree loving pinko women who dare call themselves nuns. Someone has got to put them in their place. And the money we spend on them to live in apartments and go to hairdressers. Theyre all thesbians anyway. Yes, cardinal law is a beacon of truth and civility. Next I hope he goes after all them pinko cafeteria catholic types. Maybe then he will get some respect…………. And don’t give me that ubi caritas stuff. God is obviously not a liberal pinky dinky liberal type.
Intercessor | May 06, 2012, 02:31 PM EDT
Cardinal Bernard Law is part of the International, Corrupt, Criminal, Clerical Culture of the Roman Catholic Church! Because he is a male and a Cardinal, he is protected at all costs, and he is freely able to wield his cultural power over women, specifically nuns! Even if it takes an international lawsuit, Cardinal Law should be returned to Boston to stand in court for his role in the Priest Pedophilia Scandal of Boston!
Intercessor | May 06, 2012, 02:27 PM EDT
The good people of Boston are going to LOVE this latest news about Cardinal "Bernie!" Hopefully, they'll get together an initiative to have Cardinal Bernie's track record in the Pedophile Priest Scandal of Boston to be investigated by the government, which I'm sure will be much more thorough than the Vatican's investigation of the nuns! At least Boston's investigation might carry a prison term in a little, orange jumpsuit, as the penalty if Cardinal Law is found guilty of his part in the coverups!
pilib04 | May 06, 2012, 10:27 AM EDT
Bernard law should be in prison for crimes against children. Instead our Holy Father is hiding him in the Vatican where he cannot be prosecuted. There he carries on attacks against American sisters. The utter shame of it all. Boycott your Bishops Appeal!