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PERSPECTIVES:
Cardinal Law Resignation
December 13, 2002 Episode no. 615
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BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: We want to explore the consequences of Cardinal Law's resignation now with Father Tom Reese, the editor of AMERICA magazine. Father, welcome. Let's start with Boston itself. What happens now to such things as the 400 or 450 lawsuits pending, the possibility of bankruptcy , the grand jury investigation of the archdiocese? What happens to all those things?
Father TOM REESE: Well, the good news is that Cardinal Law is no longer responsible for dealing with those. A new man will come to do the work of solving this problem.
I think Cardinal Law was an obstacle to resolving all of these issues. So it's good that he resigned; it's too bad it didn't come sooner. So I think the suits will go forward, the investigation will go forward. Cardinal Law will have to appear before a grand jury and testify, so it continues to go forward, but there will be a new man deciding what the Church will do.
ABERNETHY: And what do you expect now in the U.S. Church as a whole?
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Father REESE: Well, I think that this sends a message to everyone in the Church in the United States that the Church has got it. They finally understand that the sexual abuse of minors is a terrible, terrible thing, and that bishops have a responsibility to deal with it. In fact, I mean, this is a signal to every bishop in the world that this is something the pope takes very seriously that they have to deal with; that if they don't deal with it, then heads will roll.
ABERNETHY: Many liberals in the Church were eager to have Cardinal Law resign. Does his resignation now suggest that there's going to be some kind of spillover, and will it advance those causes or not?
Father REESE: Well, I think one of the effects of his resignation is that bishops are going to realize that they have to spend a lot more time listening to the laity, consulting the laity, spend more time listening than talking for a change. I think this will be very important and I think this will help in the healing process. But on some of these items that have been discussed, ordination of women, optional celibacy, we're not going to see a change in those things, certainly during this pontificate.
ABERNETHY: Many thanks to Father Tom Reese, editor of AMERICA magazine.
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