Editing Bernard Francis Law (section)

==Archbishop of Boston==
[[Image:Cardinal Bernard Law-coa.jpg|thumb|left|Coat of arms of Cardinal Bernard Law, with his motto "To live is Christ", in front of [[Santa Susanna]]]]

On January 11, 1984, Law was appointed Archbishop of Boston by Pope John Paul II<ref>{{cite news|last1=Briggs|first1=Kenneth A.|title=An Ecumenical Bishop for Boston|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/25/us/man-in-the-news-an-eccumenical-bishop-for-boston.html|access-date=October 22, 2017|work=New York Times|date=January 25, 1984}}</ref> and was installed on March 23, 1984.<ref name=Briggs>{{cite news|last1=Briggs|first1=Kenneth A.|title=Archbishop Law Seated as Boston Church Head|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/24/us/archbishop-law-seated-as-boston-church-head.html|access-date=October 22, 2017|work=New York Times|date=March 24, 1984}}</ref>

That same year, Law reassigned a local priest, Fr [[John Geoghan]], to St. Julia's in Weston, on the recommendation of medical professionals. Geoghan had previously been known to abuse children, and at least one auxiliary bishop in Boston warned Law that the priest was unfit to return to parish ministry.<ref name="Globe1" />

On May 25, 1985, Law was created cardinal, and [[Santa Susanna]] was assigned as his [[titular church]].<ref>{{cite news|language=fr| title=Homélie du Pape Jean-Paul II|url=https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/fr/homilies/1985/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19850525_concistoro-unico.html|access-date=October 22, 2017|work=Libreria Editrice Vaticana|date=May 25, 1985}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Dionne Jr.|first1=E.J.|title=28 Consecrated 'Princes of the Church'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/26/world/28-consecrated-princes-of-the-church.html|access-date=October 22, 2017|work=New York Times|date=May 26, 1985}}</ref>

In 1985, delivering one of the few speeches in Latin at the Synod of Bishops, he called for the creation of a "universal catechism" to guard against dissent, especially by theologians. He was the second prelate to call for such a document,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Franklin|first1=James L.|title=Cardinal Law asks universal catechism|url=http://archive.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/archives/112785_catechism.htm|access-date=October 22, 2017|work=Boston Globe|date=November 27, 1985}}</ref> which became the ''[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]]'' (1992). Law oversaw the first draft of its English translation.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Steinfels|first1=Peter|title=After Long Delay, a New Catechism Appears in English|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/28/us/after-long-delay-a-new-catechism-appears-in-english.html|access-date=October 22, 2017|work=New York Times|date=May 28, 1994}}</ref>

In the mid-1980s, Law chaired the bishops' Committee on Pastoral Research and Practices at the time it distributed a [[Letter to U.S. Bishops Concerning Masonry|report on Freemasonry]].<ref name="CNNFF" /> The bishops' report concluded that "the principles and basic rituals of Masonry embody a naturalistic religion, active participation in which is incompatible with Christian faith and practice".<ref name="Obit" />

In 1989, Geoghan was once again removed from ministry due to continued child sex abuse, but was later allowed to return to St Julia's. Further incidents resulted in his permanent removal in 1993, and his [[defrocking]] in 1998.<ref name="Globe1" />

=== Sex abuse scandal exposés ===
{{Main|Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston}}
In January 2001, Law was named a defendant in several high-profile cases involving pedophile priests, including one involving Geoghan.<ref name="wbur">{{Citation|last=Becker|first=Deborah|title=Irish Catholics Call For Cardinal Law's Resignation, Following Clergy Abuse Report|url=http://www.wbur.org/2010/02/10/irish-priests-followup|year=2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222041434/http://www.wbur.org/2010/02/10/irish-priests-followup|publisher=[[WBUR-FM]]|access-date=March 23, 2014|archive-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref> Reporter Kristen Lombardi, who was assigned to investigate by Susan Ryan-Vollmar, the editor of the ''[[The Phoenix (newspaper)|Boston Phoenix]]'' weekly,<ref name="Where">{{cite web|url= http://www.wbur.org/news/2015/09/22/cardinal-bernard-law |title= Where Is Cardinal Bernard Law Now? |publisher= WBUR |access-date=December 19, 2017|date=December 19, 2017}}</ref> wrote "Cardinal sin", an article about the cases.<ref name="Obit" />

Mark Keane, a victim of Geoghan, believed that Law had direct knowledge that Geoghan, who worked in the Archdiocese of Boston from 1962 to 1993, was repeatedly molesting children.<ref name="Where" /> Keane said that the archbishop not only allowed the priest to continue working, but repeatedly moved him from parish to parish where he had daily contact with many children (one of whom was Keane).<ref name="Obit" />

Even though abuse by Geoghan had been reported repeatedly in the media since 1996, the new editor of the daily ''[[The Boston Globe|Boston Globe]]'' newspaper [[Martin Baron]] set the ''Spotlight'' investigatory team to work on the case in September 2001.<ref name="CNNFF" /> Lombardi acknowledged that the ''Globe'' may have had the story before she did, but was delayed somewhat pending the release of sealed records.<ref name="Spotlight">{{cite web |url= http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2015/10/30/phoenix-globe-spotlight/ |title= Out of the Spotlight: Who Deserves Credit for the Scoop? |work= Boston Magazine |date= October 30, 2015 |first= Kyle |last= Clauss |access-date= November 12, 2015 |archive-date= November 2, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151102015343/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2015/10/30/phoenix-globe-spotlight/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

===Resignation===
In April 2002, following the ''Boston Globe''{{'}}s public exposure of the cover up by Cardinal Law (and his predecessor Cardinal [[Humberto Sousa Medeiros|Humberto Medeiros]]) of offending priests in the Boston Archdiocese, Law consulted with [[Pope John Paul II]] and other Vatican officials and said he was committed to staying on as archbishop and addressing the scandal: "It is my intent to address at length the record of the Archdiocese's handling of these cases by reviewing the past in as systematic and comprehensive way as possible, so that legitimate questions which have been raised might be answered."<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2002/12/13/0620/01984.html |publisher=[[Holy See Press Office]] |language=it, en |title=DICHIARAZIONE DELL'EM.MO CARD. BERNARD FRANCIS LAW|date=April 17, 2002 |trans-title=Declaration of the Eminent Card. Bernard Francis Law|first=Bernard Francis|last=Law |access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref>

Even so, Law submitted his resignation as Archbishop of Boston to the [[Holy See|Vatican]], which [[Pope John Paul II]] accepted on December 13, 2002.<ref name="Spotlight" />  Law wrote in a personal declaration, "The particular circumstances of this time suggest a quiet departure. Please keep me in your prayers."<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2002/12/13/0620/01984.html |publisher=Holy See Press Office|language=it, en |title=DICHIARAZIONE DELL'EM.MO CARD. BERNARD FRANCIS LAW|date=December 13, 2002 |trans-title=Declaration of the Eminent Card. Bernard Francis Law|first=Bernard Francis|last=Law |access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref> and moved to Rome. In July 2003, [[Seán Patrick O'Malley|Seán O'Malley]], [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin|OFMCap]] was named the new Archbishop of Boston.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archbishop Seán O'Malley installed as sixth Archbishop of Boston |work=The Pilot |url=http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=1224 |first=Donis|last=Tracy|access-date=January 7, 2016|date=August 1, 2003}}</ref>

The ''Boston Globe'' said in an [[editorial]] the day after Law's resignation was accepted that "Law had become the central figure in a scandal of criminal abuse, denial, payoff, and coverup that resonates around the world".<ref name="Spotlight" /> A letter urging Law's resignation had been signed by 58 priests, mostly diocesan priests who had sworn obedience to Law as their direct superior; the editorial said that this letter was "surely one of the precipitating events in his departure".<ref name="globecrit">{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories3/121402_editorial.htm|work=Boston Globe|title=The cardinal's departure|page=A22 |date=December 14, 2002}}</ref> The ''Globe''{{'}}s exposé of the scandal was the subject of an [[88th Academy Awards|Oscar-winning]] film, ''[[Spotlight (film)|Spotlight]]'' released in the United States in November 2015, in which Law was portrayed by [[Len Cariou]].<ref name="Where" />

In a statement, Cardinal Law said, "It is my fervent prayer that [my resignation] may help the Archdiocese of Boston to experience the healing, reconciliation and unity which are so desperately needed. To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and mistakes I both apologize and from them beg forgiveness."<ref>{{cite news|title=Cardinal Law Resigns as Archbishop of Boston|url=https://www.npr.org/news/specials/law/|access-date=January 17, 2014|newspaper=NPR|date=December 15, 2002}}</ref> While no longer Archbishop of Boston, Law remained a bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church in good standing; as a cardinal, he participated in the [[Papal conclave, 2005|2005 papal conclave]].<ref name="Where" /> By the time of the [[Papal conclave, 2013|2013 papal conclave]], he had become ineligible to vote as he was over the age of 80.<ref name="CNNFF" />