Pope bans Cardinal

There is a report in the Telegraph that  on his visit to St Mary Major, the Pope met and chatted with Cardinal Bernard Law the Archbishop Emeritus of Boston who resigned after accusations of covering up child abuse which upset abuse survivors.

The Italian press however have a different take on the meeting, suggesting either that the Pope had visited Law or he had pushed himself into the visit but that Pope Francis had then either forbidden him from entering the basilica in future or had told him he is to be sent to a monastery to spend his life in prayer and seclusion.

From the little we know about this tough former Jesuit Provincial, our new Pope, the latter seems to be more his style. Separating the Church, or at least Rome and the Holy See from those who have been notorious in their failure seems to be a laudable thing. Although Pope Benedict took vigorous action against abusers, little was done to those bishops who co-operated in their sin by neglect or negligence.

If the Italian story is correct then this is the first indicator of a very welcome clean up in the hierarchy.