MA – A decade later, Cardinal Law is still the only official punished by the church

MASSACHUSETTS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Posted by Barbara Dorris on December 13, 2012

Catholic officials admit that more than 6,000 US priests are proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesters. Yet no US bishop has ever been punished by the church hierarchy because of the abuse crisis – no matter how extensive, egregious or recent his wrongdoing may have been. None.

And only one US bishop has ever stepped down because of his role in covering up heinous child sex crimes.

Ten years ago, Cardinal Bernard Law resigned as the highest ranking Catholic official in the Boston archdiocese. More than 20 current and former US bishops have been accused of molesting kids. And nearly every bishop in recent years has been accused of – or proven to have – ignored, concealed, minimized or enabled clergy child sex crimes or cover ups.

Only Law, however, has resigned.

Still, for almost a decade, he remained an extraordinarily powerful figure, living and working in the literal and figurative power center of Catholicism. He was on six or eight important Vatican committees, including the one that recommended candidates for bishops across the globe. And he helped pick Pope Benedict.

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