On December 13, the day Cardinal Bernard Law resigned, William Donohue issued the following remarks to the press:
“Most Catholics are greeting the resignation of Cardinal Law with a sigh of relief and sadness. While no one blames Cardinal Law for the entire scandal in the Church, his departure nonetheless represents an important step towards recapturing the trust of the laity. Now the mending process can proceed with alacrity.”
Donohue also took aim at the “small, but vocal, minority for whom nothing will ever satisfy.” He specifically mentioned SNAP president Barbara Blaine, ex-priest and psychotherapist Richard Sipe and victims’ attorney Mitchell Garabedian. Worse, he said, was a radical group called Coalition of Catholics and Survivors; they tried to implicate the pope.
On December 16, Cardinal Law held a press conference. Donohue was asked to be in the studio of the Fox News Channel when Cardinal Law spoke. After the Cardinal’s remarks, Donohue told host Neil Cavuto: “He [Cardinal Law] made a very genuine, sincere statement today, and I do think that he does in his heart of hearts hope that they’re going to have some reconciliation.”
Donohue concluded his comments by taking note of the fact that some are already beating the war drums going after bishops of other dioceses. “This is absurd,” he said, “everyone knows that no other diocese in the nation was qualitatively or quantitatively comparable to Boston. To suggest otherwise is to play into the hands of Fifth-Column Catholics.”
