Law asks atonement for sins of Catholics

By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff, 3/12/2000

n an unprecedented effort to atone for two centuries of sins, Cardinal Bernard F. Law last night publicly asked forgiveness for the anti-Semitism and racism of Boston Catholics and for the sexual misconduct of parish priests.

Law delivered his expression of public penitence on the eve of today's much-anticipated "Day of Request for Pardon" speech in Rome by Pope John Paul II, who is expected to mark this Christian season of Lent by apologizing for aspects of the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Holocaust.

Law, the Catholic archbishop of Boston, knelt with several hundred worshipers at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End as a mix of clergy and lay people read a list of 12 "failures of the past," including behavior toward blacks, Jews, women, alienated Catholics, immigrants, and the disabled.

"Tonight, in this cathedral, I seek with you God's forgiveness for the faults of Catholics throughout the history of this archdiocese," Law said in his homily at the special service of vespers, or evening prayers. "We ourselves have suffered, as a community of faith, the effects of discrimination and prejudice. All the greater should be our sorrow, therefore, for our own acts of discrimination and prejudice."

Law, who wore a purple cope that for Catholics symbolizes penance, was inspired by the pope to seize on the theme of reconciliation that the church has declared for the year 2000 as a spur to review the history of the Boston Catholic community, which was created as a diocese in 1808.

In interviews and a news conference over the past week, Law had outlined much of the substance of his plans for last night's homily, but he had not previously revealed that he would express "sorrow for acts of sexual misconduct and other wrongdoing to others, especially toward minors and women, by priests and religious" nuns and monks.

During his homily, Law spoke ruefully of inappropriate conduct by clergy.

"Intolerable situations have caused great pain and have sometimes resulted in alienation from the church," he said. "There are the obvious cases of sexual abuse which have so seared us all and the less celebrated cases of harsh words, as well as rough and unjust treatment."

In a session with reporters earlier in the day, Law said he felt he could not begin to address the failings in the history of the Archdiocese of Boston without mentioning sexual abuse by clergy. During the last 15 years, there have been at least six highly publicized lawsuits in which Greater Boston Catholic clergy have been convicted or the archdiocese has paid settlements for sexual abuse.

"Not to have included that in any general acknowledgment of faults would have been such a glaring omission in terms of recent history," Law said. "I know that victims of abuse carry this memory well beyond the incident or incidents in their life, and their families do as well, and the pain really is incalculable in these instances, so how could we go about this and not say something about that? It would not be right."

Law said he is pleased with the archdiocese's current handling of allegations of misconduct, which he called the toughest in the country. And that claim won support from a lawyer who has represented victims of clergy sexual abuse.

Attorney Roderick MacLeish Jr., who estimates he has represented 300 people allegedly abused by Catholic priests, said he welcomed Law's apology.

Last night's speech, MacLeish said, is the latest in a series of public and private efforts on the part of the Boston archdiocese to redress the wrongs of the past. "It's another message of healing that's consistent with the extraordinary efforts the archdiocese has taken over the past eight years," MacLeish said. "A lot of people would say, `Too little, too late.' I'm not one of them, because they're not just talking the talk, they're also walking the walk."

Many of Law's other remarks focused on prejudice in various forms.

"As Catholics, we have too often been exclusive in our love and concern, defining ourselves erroneously by race or language or land of origin," he said. "The prejudices of others have too easily invaded our lives."

Law went the furthest in describing Catholic behavior toward Jews, whom he called "God's chosen people." He said Catholic behavior toward Jews had at times been "evil," and he asked God to "enlighten us to respect the profound spiritual heritage that is theirs, a heritage which enriches our own tradition."

He also said he regretted Catholic conduct toward blacks and other minorities, asking God to "strengthen us as instruments for the freedom of all the oppressed everywhere."

Among the other groups who have at times been ill-treated by Catholics, Law mentioned women, immigrants, and the physically and psychologically disabled. He did not mention gays and lesbians, and the pope is not expected to do so either, an omission that has triggered complaints from Dignity/USA, a group that advocates for gay Catholics.

The only sign of dissent last night was expressed by advocates for the ordination of women as priests. One woman, Rene Buchanan of Allston, stood outside the church in the pouring rain holding a sign that read "Ordain Women," while about a half-dozen women wearing scarves with the same slogan stood as other worshipers knelt. The protesters described their decision as a silent demonstration against the church's failure to change what they described as its institutional sexism.

"This is a respectful witnessing to the fact that we have been oppressed in the history of the church," said Marie Sheehan of Stoughton, one of the protesters.

Law did express sorrow for the church's failure to reach out to alienated Catholics -- a group he has said includes some gay Catholics -- and for the church's failure to push for reconciliation with non-Catholic Christians.

Addressing ongoing issues, Law expressed sorrow for Catholics not pushing hard enough to help the poor and for "not defending the dignity of every human life from the moment of conception to the last moment of natural death." That language reflects the church's opposition to abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia.

Law's remarks were welcomed by many attending the service.

"This is courageous, it's wonderful, and it's profound," said Raymond L. Flynn, the former mayor of Boston who is now president of the Catholic Alliance. "It gives all Catholics the strength to say we're sorry."

Leaders of numerous faiths attended the event at Law's invitation.

"This was very impressive and a wonderful way to help the process of reconciliation," said Rabbi Samuel Chiel, rabbi emeritus at Temple Emanuel in Newton. Imam Taalib Mahdee of the Masjid Al-Quran mosque said: "We thank God for the cardinal's brave soul and spirit."

The Rev. Diane C. Kessler, executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, praised the cardinal for his acknowledgment of the need to reconcile Christian denominations.

"A lot of ecumenical thought has been given to the importance of healing of memory as one step we need to take, and it is a valuable sign that the Vatican and the archdiocese are taking that step," she said.

One cautionary note was sounded by Minister Rodney Muhammad of the Nation of Islam. "Apologizing is one thing, but actions have to come after that," he said. "The church should have spoken out with a strong voice when slavery was in America. People who are in positions of power must lead the way."

CARDINAL'S PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Following are excerpts from the prayers of intercession offered by Cardinal Bernard F. Law, seeking forgiveness for the Archdiocese of Boston's "sins and shortcomings.":

1. With sorrow for the history of prejudice, hostility, and evil committed against the children of Israel, God's chosen people, the Jews, and that the Lord may enlighten us to respect the profound spiritual heritage that is theirs, a heritage which enriches our own tradition . . .

2. With sorrow for the ways in which we have not sought reconciliation with our separated Christian brothers and sisters, and that the Holy Spririt will impel us to pray and work constantly to realize the fullness of unity to which Christ has called us . . .

3. With sorrow for the failures to understand, to reach out and embrace all who have experienced alienation from the Church, and that the Lord will make us effective instruments of reconciliation within the communion of faith . . .

4. With sorrow for the failures to recognize the dignity of women, all of whom are created equal with men in the universal call to holiness, and that the Lord will make us a people who encourage all women and men in the quest for the perfection of their own specific nature . . .

5. With sorrow for the history of discrimination based upon color of skin and family of birth, and that the Lord may help us to honor every person of every race and nation because we encounter God's image in every man, woman and child . . .

6. With sorrow for the failure to battle the system of evil that bound African people in chains and made them slaves in this country, and that the Lord will strengthen us as instruments for the freedom of all the oppressed everywhere . . .

7. With sorrow for not opening our arms and our hearts to peoples new to our land and our parishes, and that the Lord will help us welcome all women and men of every ethnic and cultural background, celebrating the contributions of their heritage for a more vital Archdiocese and society . . .

8. With sorrow for the ways in which we have ignored or marginalized those who have physical or psychological disabilities, and that the Lord will enable us to see in one another the image of God and motivate us to make the various environments of the Church welcoming to all . . .

9. With sorrow for the ways in which disagreements within the Church have brought scandal to the Body of Christ as well as to our neighbors of other churches and other communities, and that the Lord will strengthen us to settle difficulties with kindness and mutual understanding through a firm adherence to the truth in the peace and love of Christ . . .

10. With sorrow for acts of sexual misconduct and other wrongdoing to others, especially toward minors and women by priests and religious, and that the Lord will give us the grace of repentance that we might treat every person as Jesus would . . .

11. With sorrow for not defending the dignity of every human life from the first moment of conception to the last moment of natural death, and that the Lord will guide us in building a culture of life in which every human being, especially the most vulnerable, is welcomed and loved . . .

12. With sorrow for our failures to make our own the thirst for justice and peace of the poor and oppressed, and that we may have the wisdom to build a civilization of love based on a culture of life . . .

This story ran in the Boston Globe on 3/12/2000.
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