Boston's cardinal celebrates Mass as part of Marian Days

CARTHAGE, Mo. -- Boston Cardinal Bernard Law was given a warm and enthusiastic welcome Saturday by thousands of Vietnamese Catholics attending the annual Marian Days celebration in Southwest Missouri.

Law, a central figure in the sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church, made no comments about the scandal during a homily at Mass Saturday evening.

Instead, he urged young Vietnamese to be strong, Christian leaders as their generation comes to power in the United States and Vietnam. Law was interrupted several times with applause during his 10-minute sermon.

"You are the future of the church in this country and in Vietnam," Law said. "From you will come the political leaders in this country, from you will come business leaders in this country. ...

"Much more importantly, you must be the consecrated women and men of the next generation in this country."

This year's four-day religious celebration drew Vietnamese from nearly every state, Vietnam and Canada, swelling the town to five times its normal size. Marian Days is held on the grounds of the Congregation of the Mother of Co-Redemptrix, a Vietnamese monastery.

Rev. Jon Nghi, secretary of the congregation, said he had not heard of anyone objecting to Law's presence because of the sex scandal. Law has been criticized, with some calling for him to resign, for being slow to act in removing sexually abusive priests from their duties.

'To me he's a saint'

Joseph Do, of Jacksonville, Fla., said some people were talking about the scandal but most were determined not to let it overshadow the celebration. Do said he had met Law while living on the campus from 1987-1990.

"I have to admit if I did not know him from my history here, I probably would have condemned him," Do said. "But because of his character that I've seen here, to me he's a saint."

Before the Mass, Law was joined by an estimated 40,000 people in a procession through the streets of Carthage.

Another 20,000 people lined the Ozark town's streets to watch the four-block procession behind a float covered in flowers and bearing a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

Law was joined in the procession by more than 100 priests and Bishop John Leibrecht, who took over as leader of the Cape Girardeau-Springfield diocese in 1984.

The gathering, which continues through today, began in 1977 as a way to honor Mary. The celebration also reunites families and friends separated after the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Law was bishop of Missouri's Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese from 1973 to 1984. He got involved with the order after learning about 170 priests and brothers with the Congregation of Mother Co-Redemptrix had escaped from Vietnam in small boats, later to be picked up by American cargo ships.