"Perp" on the loose

By Dave Buhlman

I read in the Boston Herald that the Pope is coming to the United States this week. According to the article, and Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, part of the reason for the Pope’s visit is to heal the wounds caused by the pedophile priests abuse scandal, discovered in Boston in the early 2000s. As a Catholic Christian, I wish the Holy Father success in this effort, and his other undertakings during his visit.

But there’s a big flaw in the basis for the healing the Pope seeks. Bernard Cardinal Law, formerly of Boston, is now ensconced in a high position in Vatican City, as head of one of the churches there. Cardinal Law was the main facilitator, the main enabler, of abusing priests in the Boston Archdiocese. There are too many instances of his passing on priests, that he knew were abusers, to other parishes. A number of these sorry excuses for human beings abused yet more kids in the assignments Law gave them. Then it was off for more counseling for these very sick men, then onto yet other parishes when they returned, courtesy of Cardinal Law.

Back a few years ago I remember a big Boston lawyer on a radio show stating that then MA Attorney General Reilly, as the head civil authority involved, could have indicted Cardinal Law, but did not. High places connect to high places, I guess. So Law was transferred rather quickly to Rome where he has enjoyed respect and lived a pampered existence as a Prince of the Church. This would be comparable to the FBI sending disgraced former agent John Connolly to a comfy gig in the tropics. Connolly was a finger man for Whitey Bulger, a Boston gangster, serial killer and pedophile in his own right. He set up victims for Whitey, the Corrupt Midget’s brother (thanks, Howie). Connolly is not in the tropics; he is quite rightfully serving time. Cardinal Law should be too.

One shudders to think of what guides the mind of a Cardinal Law. As a well educated member of the world elite, he must know, as even most of us commoners do, that pedophiles cannot be cured. Yet he sent them on to abuse other little kids, many of whom grew up with big-time troubles, some even committing suicide. Rough stuff. But Law was able to live with this knowledge for years, before he and the other perps were caught. For us run-of-the-mill sinners it’s hard to imagine doing this and living with yourself once, for even a day. The vast majority of us would go crazy with guilt.

So if the Pope wants to be taken more seriously in his efforts to heal, he needs to boot Cardinal Law, and others with a similar sordid history (e.g., the Archbishop of Manchester, NH, one of Law’s main assistants in Boston), out of the Church. We will all heal a lot better with these heels gone.

Dave Buhlman is a sinner who depends on Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for salvation.