In an interview with the Sunday Star Times, American Msgr Robert Oliver praised the media's role, echoing a tribute he paid early last year.

"It's hard for any group over time to keep up the kind of energy that's needed to do this work," he said.

"What the media has been doing was to keep that energy up . . ."

Msgr Oliver was in New Zealand at the invitation of the National Office for Professional Standards late last month.

The promoter of justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he spoke at a training day in Wellington run by the Church.

Msgr Oliver told the SST the Church has made many mistakes historically, especially in not listening to victims.

"We had to change very much from those days. Is it true to say we are lagging behind others? I think the unfortunate truth is just about everyone was not listening to victims and not responding."

Msgr Oliver said statistical modelling suggests the number of paedophile priests has dropped below 1 per cent now and only a "very small number" are true paedophiles.

Pope Francis has said abusive priests number 2 per cent.

Serving in Boston when a major abuse crisis was exposed in 2002, Msgr Oliver said at the time he had no idea this was happening.

"When you first hear about abuse, the reaction is ‘it's just not possible, how would an adult harm a child' and then you quickly come to realise not only does it happen, but it is frightening how often it does happen."

As a canon lawyer, then Fr Oliver served as director of Boston's Office for Investigations from 2002 to 2005 and was part of a training team for implementation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' charter for the protection of children and young people from 2003 to 2008.

He is not interested in winning a PR battle over the Church's image, but rather in making concrete improvements and in hearing from victims' groups about these.

"You realise what this [abuse] does to people . . . how deeply harmed they are."

Sources

• Sunday Star Times
• Huffington Post
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

The Diocese of Worcester believed the men would use the property to host same-sex weddings.

The issue is the subject of a law suit.

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But it is unclear whether MassEquality will be allowed to carry signs or use slogans.

Initially, one of the lead organisers of the parade, the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, denied MassEquality permission to join the parade.

The latter had been trying for four years to get permission to join.

But this year the decision was reversed after political pressure, shifting a stance that has lasted for 20 years.

Boston's mayor Martin Walsh had threatened to boycott the parade over the exclusion.

He then attempted to broker a solution.

The Catholic Action League condemned the decision to allow the gay rights group into the parade.

It called on organisers to remove the name "St Patrick" from the parade, as it now has no meaningful connection to the Catholic saint.

The league, which operates separately from the Archdiocese of Boston, said "Catholic organisations should refuse to participate in a parade that hosts a group which demonises Catholic moral teachings as bigotry, hatred and prejudice".

"This decision is a milestone defeat for religious freedom, moral sanity, and what very little remains of Boston's once Catholic identity.

"As for the Archdiocese of Boston, its silence was as shameful as it was predictable," the league said in a statement.

MassEquality group director Karen Coredini said "that there is a conversation happening around allowing openly LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) people to march in this parade is historic".

The parade celebrates Boston's Irish heritage and honours war veterans.

Parade organisers said MassEquality helps LGBT veterans.

Sources

• Reuters
• Boston Globe
• LisaGraas.com
• Image: SouthBostontoday

Nine years ago, after the clerical sex abuse scandal forced his resignation at Archbishop of Boston, John Paul II appointed Law as archpriest of one of Rome's most important churches.

Cardinal Law, who turned 80 this month, like his predecessor, could have stayed on, however Pope Benedict decided to accept his resignation.

While in Rome, Law has been a frequent presence at major Vatican ceremonial and diplomatic events, including being the main celebrant at one of the major masses at the time of Pope John Paul II's funeral.

His lifestyle galled many abuse victims who have long insisted that the Vatican crack down on bishops who would transfer abusive priests rather than report them to police.

The Vatican made no mention of Law when announcing the appointment of the new archpriest, Spanish Archbishop Santos Abril y Castello.

Advocates for sex abuse victims criticised the late Pope John Paul II for giving Law the prestigious post after his mishandling of clergy sex abuse in Boston, which broke open the abuse scandals that shook the Catholic Church in the U.S.

Law turned 80 earlier this month, and also lost his right to vote in any future papal election. His membership in several Vatican offices — including the body that advises Benedict on the selection of bishops has also expired.

Law has not announced where he will go next or what activities, if any, he will pursue.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston referred reporters to the Holy See.

Vatican spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi SJ said that he had no knowledge of Law's plans, which he said would be "entirely up to his discretion."

Sources

• Huffington Post
• Associated Press
• Image: Huffington Post

People left the celebration singing the praises of the fallen prelate promoted to his Vatican post of archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

The resplendent reception that marked Law's 80th birthday sent shock waves an ocean away in Boston, where the mere mention of his name still sparks seething anger in clergy abuse victims whose attackers he protected during his years as archbishop.

"He's closing in on his remaining years, and as a man of faith I know he believes in a final judgment. I'm curious if he's getting nervous," said Phil Saviano, who was abused by a Worcester priest almost five decades ago.

"I wonder if he looks back on all the good he accomplished and if he thinks that ... outweighs so many hundreds of kids on his watch who had to go through so much trauma and emotional pain," added Saviano, who founded a local chapter of Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests.

The Herald revealed yesterday that Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean O'Malley, in Rome on church business, had snubbed Law's Vatican birthday shindig.

"The meal was spectacular," said Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general emeritus of the Archdiocese of Rome. He twirled his hand in the air, a common Italian gesture for satisfaction.

Turning 80, Cardinal Law is no longer eligible to vote in the conclave.

Source

• Boston Herald
• Image: Washington Post

Another 91 sex abusers also faced some level of accusation including 62 dead priests who have not been publicly accused and 22, mostly still alive, who have not been publicly accused and could not be proved to have molested children.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley has also listed separately 25 priests who were publicly accused of molesting children but who were cleared, the claims being unsubstantiated.

The publication does not include photos.

"My deepest hope and prayer is that the efforts I am announcing today will provide some additional comfort and healing for those who have suffered from sexual abuse by clergy," Cardinal O'Malley said in a letter.

O'Malley did not publish the names of clergy belonging to religious orders or other dioceses who were accused of sexual abuse while working in the Boston Archdiocese. In his view it was the responsibility of their orders or dioceses to do this.

Some victims' groups commended O'Malley's actions. However Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of bishopaccountability.org did not agree, saying her organisation believed there were at least 350 religious workers in Boston who have substantive abuse accusations against their name.

"If O'Malley's goal were truly to reach as many victims as possible, and to protect as many children as possible, he would have released the longest possible list today," Barrett Doyle said.

Attorney General Martha Coakley also faulted the list because it omits those who left the priesthood before accusations were leveled against them.

"Those names should be disclosed in the interest of the victims and public safety," Coakley said.

O'Malley acknowledged some people wanted him to go further and release more names, but he cited concerns about due process, particularly when the parties were dead and or accused of decades-old crimes that were difficult to verify.

"In the present environment, a priest who is accused of sexually abusing a minor may never be able to fully restore his reputation, even if cleared after civil or canonical proceedings."

"Having met with hundreds of survivors, I know firsthand the scars you carry."

"I carry with me every day the pain of the Church's failures," O'Malley said.

O'Malley, who replaced Cardinal Bernard Law in 2003, has spent much of his time as archbishop trying to restore faith in a church rocked by the abuse scandal.

Sources

• Boston.com
• NY Times
• The Mail
• Reuters - blog

His homily was in direct defiance of the Archdiocese's policy but brought a standing ovation, the first any parishioner can remember.

"Here, you all can say 'I can worship the God who made me as I am,' " Unni said.

Unni's fiery message of unconditional love is what he called God's "acceptance of all".

Last week the Boston Archdiocese directed St Cecilia's Catholic Church to cancel the scheduled Mass, themed "All Welcome Here."

The Mass coincided with the celebration of Boston's "Gay Pride Month".

The Archdiocese said it did not want to give the "unintended impression" that St Cecilia's supported Gay Pride.

"This parish is a great example of people who are civil and exhibiting a real fellowship," said Terrence C. Donilon, a spokesman for the archdiocese, in a phone interview. "But that doesn't mean we can be put in a position where we look like we're endorsing Gay Pride activities."

St Cecilia's congregation has a large gay and lesbian population, many of whom arrived after the South End's predominantly gay Jesuit Urban Center closed in 2007, parishioners said. Almost 200 members of St. Cecilia's are now active in its Rainbow Ministry, which hosts events for members and supporters of the LGBT community.

Unni, who has been at St. Cecilia's for seven years, said the Mass has now been postponed indefinitely. He said he will discuss the goals of the "All Are Welcome" Mass with the parish and address fears about the service or recent backlash.

Members of the Rainbow Ministry first suggested the Mass to Unni six to eight weeks ago, he said, and he told them yes, "not knowing what would happen," he said.

Instead of the Mass, the Rainbow Ministry will hold a sidewalk prayer service next Sunday at 6 p.m., with readings and reflections from lay people, said Richard Iandoli, vice chairman of the parish council.

Rainbow Ministry member Michael Skully expressed his frustrations with the archdiocese and said he "fully expected to be standing in front of locked doors" next Sunday.

Sources

• Boston Globe
• Huffington Post
• Boston Globe
• Image: St Cecilia's Parish

The changes aim to save money in the parishes, which are "in a spiral of financial distress," church officials say in confidential minutes of meetings where the plan was discussed, AP reports.

Under the plan, more church closings would be possible, but they would be initiated by the new parish groups, not the archdiocese, as they were during the recent, painful round of closings.

The minutes also reveal Cardinal Sean O'Malley's regret about how the archdiocese handled the closings that started in 2004, reducing the number of parishes from 357 to 291.

At the time, parishioners charged the archdiocese with shutting down healthy parishes without warning or reason. Some have since occupied their parish churches in round-the-clock protests.

Monsignor William Fay, head of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission, emphasized the current restructuring plan is a work in progress. He said there's no set timeline to complete it, and changes will come only after extensive consultation with local Catholics.

"We've got to move forward aggressively, but in a very thoughtful way," he said. "We should be able to take the time we need to take to make sure this is done right."

The archdiocese has cited numerous statistics to show it must run differently. Among them: 40 percent of its parishes won't be able to pay their bills this year; the number of available priests will plummet from 316 today to 178 in a decade; only 17 percent of local Catholics now attend Mass.

In theory, the streamlined parish would run cheaper, even as it's being strengthened spiritually and numerically by an ongoing evangelization push, including the "Catholics Come Home" advertising campaign that aimed to draw lapsed Catholics back to church.

American Catholics are traditionally loyal to their congregations and pastor, but not the hierarchy, and that makes it tough when archdioceses try to lead change, said David O'Brien, a church historian at the University of Dayton.

It's also clear, though, that the current structure must be altered, O'Brien said.

Source

• CBS Boston
• Image: Boston Archdiocese