In the annals of the Stateside church's gravest scandal in its three-plus centuries of existence, that notion has been unique to the place, much as Bernard Law was the unparalleled global lightning rod of what had been a widespread, systemic evil that, in its time, was a feature, not a bug of the clerical system.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, early word from the crisis' ground zero was that the exiled cardinal's departure from the stage had "opened wounds" not far beneath the surface amid the passage of 15 years... and while it's likewise to be expected that today's few responses from top hierarchs unstintingly reinforced the church's commitment to zero tolerance – even to a jaw-dropping degree – none would have the platform in the moment that belonged to his successor, both as the current head of a barely-calmed fold at home, and now (in an extraordinary turn of history) the lead aide on child protection to the Roman pontiff.
An event that reportedly wasn't expected to happen as local plans for Law's death came together, late this afternoon Cardinal Seán O'Malley OFM Cap. appeared before the Boston press at the Braintree Chancery, taking questions and revealing his own farewell visit to his predecessor during last week's "Gang of 9" meetings in Rome.
Perhaps most remarkably of all, though, on being asked about the decision for the late cardinal to receive "the full pomp and circumstance of a Vatican funeral" concluded by the Pope, in an unprecedented blistering criticism of Law's receiving a Roman assignment following his resignation, the Capuchin said "I understand how people are reacting to that... I think it's unfortunate that [Law]'s had such a high-profile place in the life of the church, but I think going forward that decision would not be made, but unfortunately we're living with the consequences of that."
Here, the fullvideo:
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by Rocco Palmo via Whispers in the Loggia
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