UNITED STATES/ROME
Catholic News Agency

By Father Rocky Hoffman *

I have a question regarding Cardinal Bernard Law, once residing in Boston and now in Rome. It seems evident from the notoriety of the sex abuse scandals in Boston that Cardinal Law was not only complicit but probably also instrumental in the moving around of priests (which many of us faithful and life-long Catholics call the Catholic Shell Game, i.e. under which shell is the real abuser).

In light of this assumption, and if this assumption is indeed valid, it is hard for those of us who try to faithfully to “follow the rules” to understand how his conduct seems to be ‘rewarded’ by his assignment to one of the major basilicas in Rome. Sackcloth and ashes in a remote monastery with perpetual prayer and penance would seem to be more appropriate!

Two of the major components of our…