Cardinal Resigns; Catholics Respond

Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Cardinal Bernard F. Law ’53 last Friday in the wake of public outrage that Boston’s Roman Catholic archbishop had repeatedly allowed priests accused of child molestation to continue to work for the Church.

Harvard Catholics expressed relief yesterday over Law’s resignation.

“It’s a wrenching change—a really big, healthy development that will lead to different attitudes across the nation,” said Professor of Education and Social Policy Gary A. Orfield.

Orfield was one of nine Catholic Harvard professors who wrote a letter calling for Law’s resignation last March, which Orfield said was among the first major public statements asking the archbishop to step down.

Father Thomas E. Brennan, the Catholic chaplain of undergraduates, said parishioners of St. Paul’s, the local Catholic parish, “believe this may be the first step needed in the healing process.”

Brennan spoke about Law’s resignation in his sermon yesterday.

“Father Tom mentioned that...the Church is getting a new birth through this resignation,” said Patrick N. Augustine ’04. “I think he’s right—after all, the problem isn’t with the Church, it’s with its leaders, and hopefully some new blood will help.”

The Boston Globe reported Friday that the Rev. J. Bryan Hehir—the first Roman Catholic to serve as the head of the Harvard Divinity School (HDS)—is one of Law’s possible successors. Hehir could not be reached for comment this weekend.

In a written statement released Friday, Law expressed gratitude to the Pope for being allowed to step down.

“To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and mistakes I both apologize and from them beg forgiveness,” he said. “Please keep me in your prayers.”

The Vatican’s decision to accept the resignation is particularly significant, professors said, since Law had been pushing for bankruptcy proceedings in order to save the Archdiocese from the financial ruin that would result from victims’ lawsuits.

“They have realized how deep the threat to American Catholicism has become,” Orfield said.

“The Vatican rarely responds to public calls—it lives in its own world and has its own sense of time,” he added.

Law’s Legacy

Despite their relief at the resignation, Harvard professors urged the community not to forget the racial and religious compromises Law is credited for accomplishing in Boston.

Plummer Professor of Christian Morals Peter J. Gomes published an op-ed in last Friday’s Boston Globe, written prior to the announcement of Law’s resignation, praising the embattled archbishop and calling for forgiveness.

“Not summoned in his defense has been the fact that he has ordained many good men to the priesthood,” Gomes wrote, “that he has been a fearless advocate for the poor and the homeless, that he has lent the prestige of his office, often denied by his predecessors, to significant efforts.”

Loker Professor of English Robert J. Kiely ’60 said that although he agreed with Gomes that the Catholic community should not hold a grudge against Law, he disagreed with Gomes’ view that the press had focused too much blame on the archbishop.

“It was high time for Law to resign,” said Kiely, who signed the letter urging the archbishop to step down. “There is no way this issue can be spoken of as though Law was done in by the Church or the press—I think the papers have done great reporting.”

In his op-ed, Gomes said that Law had devoted much of his life to opposing abortion and capital punishment, and that he had worked to help Boston’s homeless and bridge racial tensions in the city.

“The tragedy of a scandal like this, and such a damaging cover-up, is that it tends to obscure all the good things Law has done in his life,” said Orfield, who attended Sunday Mass yesterday and said that most people were tremendously pleased with the resignation.

Gomes could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Changes in the Church

Harvard Catholics trace the scandal back to the Catholic Church’s power structure—and say the crisis could pave the way for a more transparent administration.

“The Cardinal is not going to have the same authority anymore,” Orfield said.

As the Church redefines the roles of its top officials, Harvard Catholics have begun to speculate on the prospects of one of their own—the former HDS head Hehir, who was cited in the Globe as a possible successor.

But Hehir’s Boston ties and intellectual background might be strikes against him, they said, as the Church attempts to rebuild after the scandal.

“My suspicion is that they will not appoint anyone who had worked in the Boston area in the past 20 years,” said Kiely.

Robert Orsi, Warren professor of the history of religion in America and a specialist in Catholicism, said Hehir’s scholarly work might also hurt his bid.

“Simply his intellectual pedigree might be an issue,” Orsi said of Hehir, who has distinguished himself as a theologian. “He’s such a prodigious intellect.”

Normally, the Pope would seek someone with strong administrative skills to fill the post, Orfield said.

If the Church looks beyond Hehir’s academic accomplishments, though, according to Orsi, “He’s right in line. He’s right there.”

Orfield also noted that Hehir demonstrated administrative skill when he helped HDS cope with an embarrassing scandal three years ago.

In May 1999, Ronald F. Thiemann, dean of HDS at the time, had been forced to step down from his position because he stored pornography on an office computer. After Thiemann stepped down, Hehir served as interim head of HDS.

“He came in and stabilized the school,” Orfield said.

Looking Ahead

Some say that further changes—beyond the resignation—are needed to heal the Boston community and restore trust in the Catholic Church.

“There are structural changes that are needed, but will not be completely taken care of by the resignation of one person,” Kiely said.

Professor of Romance Languages and Literature Lino Pertile agreed, saying that Law’s resignation does not alter the gravity of the crisis for the Catholic Church in Boston—and beyond.

“This whole crisis can only be resolved by time and the restructuring of the Church’s administration,” said Pertile, who had called for Law to step down.

But such reorganization will take time, Kiely said.

“The Church is even slower than Harvard in making big administrative changes,” he added.

—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Lauren A. E. Schuker can be reached at schuker@fas.harvard.edu.