VATICAN CITY (EWTN News/CNA)—Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law, former archbishop of Boston, and appointed Spanish Archbishop Santos Abril y Castelló as the new archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Cardinal Law, who resigned as archbishop of Boston in 2002 in the wake of the sex-abuse scandal, turned 80 on Nov. 4.
A Vatican official explained to EWTN News on Nov. 21 that although the official retirement age for a post such as archpriest is 80, it is customary for cardinals to hold their positions for a longer period of time.
Cardinal Law’s predecessor, Cardinal Carlo Furno, remained in his post until he turned 82, and the former archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, retired only a month from turning 84.
The same source explained, however, that it was Cardinal Law himself who requested a rapid replacement at the basilica.
At the age of 80, Cardinal Law will no longer have a vote in the papal conclave and will also cease to be an active member of several Vatican dicasteries.
The American cardinal was a member of the Congregation for Bishops as well as the Vatican Congregations for Divine Worship, Evangelization of Peoples, Clergy, Consecrated Life and Catholic Education.
Cardinal Law was appointed by Pope John Paul II as archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in May of 2004 and has no plans to leave Rome in the near future.
His successor, 76-year-old Archbishop Castelló, has spent most of his life serving as an apostolic nuncio in countries such as Bolivia, Argentina, the former Yugoslavia and, most recently, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
As vice chamberlain of Holy Roman Church — a position he will maintain — the archbishop will be second in command in taking care of the papal funeral and the organization of a conclave after a pontiff dies.
Archbishop Abril will likely be created a cardinal in the next consistory, which Vatican sources believe will take place during the spring of 2012.
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“Pope Accepts Cardinal Law’s Resignation”
That would have been a nice headline to read in 2002.
It’s about time the “good” Cardinal resigned. His next place ought to be a contemplative monastery—- Cistercians would be nice———to spend the remainder of his life in penitential prayer.
I have met him a many times with my involvement with Catholic Charities. I saw a Boston pol, but that is Bean town. I pray that his actions with those priests that were really at fault was one of a pastoral nature and not apolotician protecting his own legacy. He should retire from all public functions, that would make most people in Massachucetts/Boston more comfortable in getting over such a tragic thing that happened to our faith community. God bless, Dr Thomas
Appointing this man to that position was simply outrageous.
Archbishop Law took the heat for the inaction of his predecessors Cushing and Meideiros. Those two followed monumentaly Bad Advice from the medical counseling services such as the Hartford Institute of living in Ct.. They left an awful media and legal mess. Had Medeiros and Cushing done their job and ousted the Homosexual clique running loose in Mass. ,Cardinal Law would not have had to clean up the mess left for him. Similar problems at Stockton-LA California, Miami Florida and Milwaukee Wisc. left similar scandals elsewhere. When Bishop Eagan in Fall River Mass. and Bpt. Ct. and Law in Mass. were done the wayward Homosexual predator priests were removed from the clergy amid much consternation sorrow and court -Press coverage sad to say. Pray for retired Bishops Law(Mass.) and Eagan New England and NYC. they had a rough and thankless road to follow cleaning up a terrible chapter in the USA church.Similar problems occured in Canada and Ireland with similar results.
At the time of Cardinal Law’s trouble in Boston, the Vatican system just did not understand the significance he represented to the Catholic Church in this country. But now they DO. If the Pope would recognize that in some way that would effect the Cardinal, it would go a long way to help the Catholics in the USA.
Cardinal Law took the heat due to the stupendous inaction of his prewdecessors Cardinal Cushing and Meidieros.He was forced to take actions and under his leadership the Homosexual predetaor priests rampant in Mass. were booted from the clergy. The present bishop of Springfield Mass. had to do the same thing. They(Law etc.) took the heat for the refusal of their predecessors to aknowlege they had a Homosexual priest problem not to mention doing anything concrete about this.
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