Man at the center of Catholics' maelstrom
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The plum post of archbishop of Boston was given to Law in 1984; he was made cardinal a year later.
Ray Flynn, who became Boston's mayor at the same time, insists "one colossal mistake" should not outweigh a life's good work. He credits Law with helping to put "a polarized city, racially divided and in the economic doldrums," back on track with his emphasis on community.
He also came to the mayor's aid when Bostonians opposed facilities in their neighborhoods for AIDs patients and unwed mothers. After he asked priests to hold meetings on the need in local churches, the facilities were built, says Mr. Flynn, who later served as US ambassador to the Vatican.
At the same time, Law's talents and interests have taken him far beyond his diocese, from committee assignments in Rome to responding to disasters in the developing world, to behind-the-scenes diplomacy in sensitive areas like the Middle East and Cuba, Father Helmick says.
During a trip to Cuba with church leaders several years ago, Law caught the attention of Fidel Castro, and they've had serious conversations ever since, with the cardinal becoming a player in US policy discussions, and key to preparing for the pope's trip to Havana.
But today, these forays onto the world stage aren't winning plaudits back home, where some feel they've distracted him from local needs . Even meetings with priests tended to focus on his itinerary.
Discouraged by the lack of opportunity to discuss with Law the problems they face in their work, priests formed a group last summer. Now the expanding group feels responsible to examine the deeper issues raised by the crisis and to articulate in a nonadversarial way what needs to be done, says the Rev. Robert Bullock, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Sharon, Mass.
"This [crisis] has nothing to do with faith or Catholicism, but with structures the way we have been as a church, the way authority has been exercised," Father Bullock says.
According to the Rev. Richard McBrien, professor of theology at Notre Dame, Law would likely step down only if he concluded he had lost the support of his priests. On that front, adds Father McBrien, who was recently invited to speak to the priests' group, "the jury is still out." The pope has indicated he will not discipline Law and others who handled cases.
McBrien questions whether Cardinal Law and other loyalist bishops can take the lead on issues now coming to the surface, such as celibacy. Yet he suggests Law could regularly hold open discussions with priests, investigate recruitment and seminaries, and be an advocate for his priests in Rome.
Law has initiated a project to restore trust, which, says the Rev. Christopher Coyne, archdiocese spokesman, aims to reach out more effectively to victims, strengthen policies, and "make sure more laity and clergy are involved in decisionmaking processes."
"He must do something radical the trust is so fractured," Bullock says. "He needs to go parish to parish, Sunday after Sunday, not with his agenda but just to listen. Those great pastoral skills need to be emphasized. If he doesn't do that, the trust is not going to be rebuilt."
