Bernard Francis Law | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Archpriest emeritus of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore Archbishop emeritus of Boston | |
 Law in the mid-1980s | |
| Archdiocese | Boston |
| Appointed | January 11, 1984 |
| Installed | March 23, 1984 |
| Term ended | December 13, 2002 |
| Predecessor | Humberto Sousa Cardinal Medeiros |
| Successor | Seán Patrick Cardinal O'Malley |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna |
| Previous post(s) |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 21, 1961 by Egidio Vagnozzi |
| Consecration | December 5, 1973 by Joseph Bernard Brunini, William Wakefield Baum, and Joseph Bernardin |
| Created cardinal | May 25, 1985 by John Paul II |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 4, 1931 |
| Died | December 20, 2017 (aged 86) Rome, Italy |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Motto | To live is Christ |
| Styles of Bernard Francis Law | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Boston (Emeritus) |
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Bernard Francis Cardinal Law (November 4, 1931 – December 20, 2017) was a senior-ranking prelate of the Catholic Church, known largely for covering up the serial rape of children by Catholic priests. He served as Archbishop of Boston, archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, and Cardinal Priest of Santa Susanna, which was the American parish in Rome until 2017, when the American community was relocated to San Patrizio.
Law was Archbishop of Boston from 1984 until his resignation on December 13, 2002, after his involvement in the Archdiocese of Boston sex abuse scandal became public knowledge. Law was proven to have ignored or concealed the molestation of many underage children;[1][2] Church documents demonstrate that he had extensive knowledge of widespread child sexual abuse committed by dozens of Catholic priests in his archdiocese over almost two decades; he failed to report these crimes to the authorities, instead merely transferring the accused priests between parishes.[3] One priest in Law's archdiocese, John Geoghan, raped or molested more than 130 children in six different parishes in a career of 30 years.[3] Law was widely denounced for his handling of the sexual abuse cases, and outside the church his public image was destroyed in the aftermath of the scandal.
Two years after Law resigned from his position in Boston, which Bishop William Skylstad called "an important step in the healing process",[4] Pope John Paul II appointed him Archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome in 2004. He resigned the position upon reaching age 80 in November 2011, and died in Rome on December 20, 2017 at age 86.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (December 14, 2002). "A church seeks healing". Boston Globe.
- ^ "Rinuncia dell'Arcivescovo di Boston (U.S.A.)" [Renouncement and Nomination]. vatican.va (Press release) (in Italian). The Vatican. December 13, 2002. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ^ a b "Church allowed abuse by priest for years". Boston Globe. January 6, 2002. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (December 4, 2002). "A church seeks healing". Boston Globe.