Editing Bernard Francis Law (section)

==Bishop of Springfield–Cape Girardeau==

[[Pope Paul VI]] named Law bishop of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau|Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau]] in [[Missouri]] on October 22, 1973, and he was consecrated on December 5 of that year.<ref name="Briggs" /> Law's predecessor in Springfield–Cape Girardeau was [[William Wakefield Baum]], another future cardinal.<ref name="CNNFF" />

In 1975, he arranged for the resettlement in his diocese of 166 Vietnamese refugees who arrived in the United States, and were members of a Vietnamese [[religious congregation]], the [[Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer|Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix]].<ref name="Obit" />

In continuing his ecumenical work, Law formed the Missouri Christian Leadership Conference.<ref name="MNY">{{cite web|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/12/19/cardinal-law-dies/|title=Boston's Controversial Cardinal Law Dies In Rome|publisher=[[CBS]]|access-date=December 19, 2017|date=December 19, 2017}}</ref> He was made a member of the [[Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity|Vatican's Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity]] and served from 1976 to 1981 as a consultor to its Commission for Religious Relations with the [[Jews]].<ref name="Obit" /> In the late 1970s, Law would also chair the U.S. bishops' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.<ref name="MNY" />

In 1981, Law was named the Vatican delegate to develop and oversee a program instituted by the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] in which [[Episcopal Church (United States)|U.S. Episcopal priests]] would be accepted into the Catholic priesthood.<ref name="FoxBoston">{{cite web|url=http://www.fox25boston.com/news/cardinal-law-former-catholic-archbishop-of-boston-dies-at-86/666368897|title=Cardinal Law, former Catholic Archbishop of Boston, dies at 86, sources say|publisher=Fox Boston|access-date=December 19, 2017|date=December 19, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In the program's first year, sixty-four Episcopal priests applied for acceptance.<ref name="FoxBoston" /> This brought married priests with their families into U.S. Roman Catholic dioceses for the first time.<ref name="MNY" />