'Fired' cardinal back in action
2005-04-07 15:39
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Vatican City - An American former archbishop forced to quit over a series of paedophile sex scandals involving priests in his diocese will celebrate one of the key masses during nine days of Vatican mourning for Pope John Paul II, officials said on Thursday.
Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, the former archbishop of Boston, will preside a mass for the pope on Monday, fourth day of the "novendiales" - nine days - period of formal mourning which begins with his funeral mass on Friday.
A mass is said for the pope every day during the mourning period.
Law's name was given among a list of prelates the Vatican named Thursday to preside the masses.
The cardinal was replaced as Boston archbishop in 2003 after it emerged he had quietly transferred abusive priests between parishes rather than defrock them.
In September that year the archdiocese agreed to pay $85m to settle more than 500 civil suits accusing priests of sexual abuse and church officials of covering up the scandal.
- AFP