Bloodless Coup

Cardinal Law's Punishment (or Promotion)

So Cardinal Law more or less gets run out of Boston for the actions (or lack thereof) that he took to combat the sexual abuse scandal that has severely shaken that archdiocese. What does the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church do to him? Well, according to John Allen in the National Catholic Reporter he's gotten what sounds like a plum new gig. He's been named Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary the Major in Rome. As Allen puts it: "Each of the four major partriarchal basilicas in Rome has a cardinal-archpriest who is the administrator of the facility. Typically it is a quasi-honorary post given at the end of someone's career. In Law's case, the dynamics were different." I'm going to propose we remember this line in December when we try to think of things that qualify for "understatement of the year". I've got to think that there must be many Bostonians who are just thrilled to see that this is what the Church thinks should happen to those who let the scandal fester.