Police stifle protest at Mass for Pope

CARDINAL Bernard Law celebrated Mass for Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica yesterday, ignoring protests that his handling of the sex abuse scandal in the US Catholic Church should disqualify him from the honour.

Police broke up a small but symbolic protest staged by two victims of sex abuse at the hands of American priests, escorting one of them from St Peter's Square as she was preparing to distribute leaflets. Several uniformed officers walked Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, behind barricades set up at the entrance to the square.

Ms Blaine and another leader of the group took their campaign for reform to the centre of Roman Catholicism, demanding that Vatican officials stop Cardinal Law from celebrating an important Mass mourning Pope John Paul.

They arrived in Rome just hours before yesterday afternoon's service at St Peter's Basilica to condemn what they called the Vatican's "hurtful decision" to choose Cardinal Law for the honour. The Mass went ahead without disruption.

"In these incredible days, the Pope continues to teach us what it means ... to be a follower of Christ," the cardinal said, reading his homily slowly in Italian. "Our faith has been reinforced." He also said inspiration was drawn from the outpouring of Italian, Polish and other pilgrims, saying their huge tribute showed love and devotion to John Paul for his leadership of the Church. Nearly three million mourners flooded Rome for his funeral last week.

Cardinal Law resigned as archbishop of Boston in December 2002, after unsealed court records revealed he had moved predatory clergy among parishes without alerting parents that their children were at risk. More than 550 people have filed abuse claims in Boston in recent years and the archdiocese has paid over €58m in settlements.

Ms Blaine said the group was not opposed to Cardinal Law's participation in next week's conclave to elect a Pope, but his public role in the papal transition was hurtful. "We are the sons and daughters of the Catholic family who were raped, sodomised and sexually molested by priests," Ms Blaine said, holding a photograph of herself as a child around the time she said a priest began molesting her.

"At this time, we should be able to focus on the Holy Father's death, instead of Cardinal Law's prominence," she said.