Dapper Don Dies — No Public Send-Off

THE NEW YORK POST, June 12 — Most Mafia crime bosses who call themselves Catholic are of the “A&P” variety: they show up at church for ashes and palms, but otherwise they tend to steer clear.

But funerals are an exception. As any fan of Coppola and Scorcese movies knows, Mafia funerals tend to be big, splashy church affairs marked by eulogies that paint the defunct dons as misunderstood avatars of St. Francis.

But the deceased John Gotti won't get that kind of farewell, according to Father Andrew Vaccari, chancellor of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Gotti, the former “capo” of the Gambino crime family who died June 10 in his Springfield, Mo., prison cell while serving time for five murders, will not receive a Catholic funeral, The Post reported.

The Church sometimes denies Catholic rites to “public sinners” to avoid the scandal it might give the faithful.

Coincidentally, the last major crime figure to be denied a funeral Mass was “Big Paul” Castellano, whom Gotti murdered in 1985.

Unlike Castellano, however, Gotti will be allowed a Christian burial in Queens' St. John's Cemetery, which also holds the remains of Carlo Gambino, Carmine Galante, Vito Genovese and Charles “Lucky” Luciano.

The diocese said that the Gotti family will be permitted a private Mass for the dead at a later date.

Baptists Won't Throw Stones on Abuse

ASSOCIATED PRESS, June 11 — Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, who frequently cooperate with Catholics on social and life issues, were markedly charitable in their response to recent clerical scandals, reported Associated Press in its coverage of the annual national meeting of the country's largest Protestant group.

Speakers “warned delegates against passing judgment as Catholic bishops prepare to discuss what to do with sex-offending priests,” Associated Press said, noting that scandals exist in every denomination.

“We shouldn't enjoy this Catholic mess too much,” said one pastor, the Rev. Bobby Welch. “We're waiting on the other shoe to drop, and when it does, don't be surprised if there is more and more within our ranks.”

Father Frank Ruff, the official Catholic liaison to the Southern Baptists, expressed relief and gratitude at the Baptists' response.

“Our dirty laundry is out there for everybody to see — and it's pretty dirty,” he said. “But I think everybody here in leadership knows that there's a fair amount of sexual abuse that goes on in all institutions, in all churches, in all schools, in many, many families.”

NYC Cardinal's Appeal Could Break Records

ASSOCIATED PRESS — The Archdiocese of New York has taken some hits this month, losing both its leading fund-raiser and an auxiliary bishop to accusations of sexual misconduct.

But that isn't closing New Yorkers' wallets to the charitable and educational works of the Church, Associated Press reported.

Church spokesman Joseph Zwilling said that the annual Cardinal's Appeal had raised $13.44 million so far, putting it well on the way to meeting its goal of $15 million — a record amount for the Archdiocese.

Said Zwilling: “I think it will be the most successful cardinal's campaign that the archdiocese has ever had.”