The funeral Mass for the late Cardinal Bernard Law went ahead this afternoon at St Peter's Basilica in Rome and included a final blessing from Pope Francis, in spite of criticisms of Law's role in covering up for paedophile priests in the Boston archdiocese.
The homily was delivered by the celebrant, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who has himself been criticised in the past because of his own support for the late Marcial Maciel, who founded the Legion of Christ, sexually abused many children and fathered at least six.
At Law's Mass, Sodano did not refer directly to Law's catastrophic failure to protect children from paedophile priests but did say that even cardinals make mistakes.
Fr James Martin SJ, editor of America Magazine, was among those who raised concerns about the Mass, which had been due to be live streamed by the Vatican but in the end went ahead without this broadcast.
Fr Martin posted a series of tweets, beginning: "Let me say that I don't think Cardinal Law's funeral should have been held at St. Peter's. It may be the norm for cardinals,but there is no need always to follow the norm. It is exceptionally painful for abuse victims to see this. Mass could have been held at St. Mary Major."
He continued: "Every Catholic deserves a funeral Mass, but not every Catholic warrants a funeral Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. I will pray for him, but the church is not obliged to afford such honors to a man who, for much of his time as the Archbishop of Boston, caused untold pain. And with due respect for the customs of the Vatican, and for the norms of protocol for cardinals and prelates, it is a stupefyingly obtuse symbol, which undercuts the church's mission to hold bishops accountable for their actions, particularly regarding the abuse of children.
"To that end, I also don't think he should have been given a sinecure at St. Mary Major. Widely seen as a demotion in Rome, it was seen as a golden parachute in the United States. Many Boston pilgrims told me how shocked they were to see him when they visited that church."
He concluded: "In the end, I will pray for him, as we do for all the dead, and, moreover, pray for the survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their families, and pray that the church may always be vigilant in preventing abuse in any form."
Pope Francis prayed at the end: "May he be given a merciful judgment so that redeemed from death, freed from punishment, reconciled to the Father, carried in the arms of the Good Shepherd, he may deserve to enter fully into everlasting happiness in the company of the eternal King together with all the saints."
Pic: Cardinal Angelo Sodano during the funeral service of Cardinal Attilio Nicora in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Credit: Evandro Inetti via ZUMA Wire, PA file pic from April 2017
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