Chapter 56 Chapter 54 Associated Press News

Cardinal Gasser is going to preside at Mass of Prayer at St. Peter's today. ROME (AP): Cardinal Francis Gassé will officially preside at Mass at noon today at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.The North American cardinal will be honored to preside over the service, which is the second day of the nine days of prayers held in honor of the soul of Pope John Paul II. The organizers in the United States are not very optimistic about Gasser's participation in hosting this time. The Network of Survivors of Abuse by Priests (SNAP) sent two members to Rome to formally protest against Cardinal Gase.Because he had presided over the highest-level church in Christianity.

"There were only two of us, and our protest was peaceful, telling our story to the media in an orderly manner," said Barbara, one of the protest members sent by SNAP to Rome. The organization, one of the main groups representing victims of sexual abuse and abuse by Catholic priests, now has 4,500 members.Their main task is to find these victims and provide help, such as group psychotherapy, to let victims know what happened.Many of the victims joined the group as adults after years of silence. Cardinal Gasser is currently the dean of the House of Clergy.In the 1990s, he was also embroiled in a sex abuse scandal in the United States.He was at the time in the Archdiocese of Boston, an important figure in the North American Church, and considered by many to be a strong candidate for John Paul II after his death.

After the Justice Department found that he was involved in more than 300 sexual abuse cases, he faded from the public eye and his career suffered.He frequently mobilized priests who committed sexual abuse crimes to different parishes, hoping to avoid scandals.Almost every time he suggested that the accused priests be transferred to other dioceses in the name of getting some "fresh air" elsewhere.Only in very serious cases would he send the priests to a special mental health rehabilitation institute where they could be treated. When the first serious cases surfaced, Cardinal Gasser agreed to pay the victim a settlement fee, using large sums of money to make the victim take a vow of silence.After a while, the scandal became a national story, and those "high Vatican officials" had to remove Gasse.Gasser was then transferred to Rome, where he became dean of the Congregation.This position is important, but it may also be the last stop of his career.

But there are also some people who believe that Gase, as a saint, has been using all his strength to resist the unfair treatment given to him by the church. "He was subjected to religious persecution and slander in defense of his faith," said Father Miller, his private secretary.But speculation within the media about who will be the next Pope shows that Gasser's hopes are not high.Although he has always been cautious, no one said that he has any indulgent words and deeds, he has some supporters, Gase can rely on his supporters to get some votes, but the chance of a miracle is not very great. (April 10, 2005, 08:12 AP)