Disgraced US cardinal leaves Rome job

Cardinal Bernard Law, who was forced to resign as archbishop of Boston in 2002 over a sex-abuse scandal, has left his prestigious post in the Italian Church after turning 80, the Vatican announced today.

Cardinals have to offer to leave their posts when they turn 80, but Pope Benedict could have rejected his automatic resignation and allowed him to stay on.

Instead, the Vatican said in a brief statement that another prelate, Spain's Santos Abril y Castello, would now take charge of the Rome Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Cardinal Law was at the centre of the US Catholic Church abuse scandals when it emerged that he had reassigned to new parishes priests known to have sexually abused minors instead of defrocking them or reporting them to the authorities.

Dozens of his priests publicly called on him to step down and he eventually resigned in disgrace in December, 2002. Pope John Paul was widely criticised for subsequently offering Law stewardship of one of Rome's most important churches.

An association representing victims of the US abuse scandal had urged Pope Benedict not to extend Law's term at St. Mary Major when he turned 80 on Nov. 4.

As an 80-year-old, Law will no longer be able to elect any future popes in the secret conclaves, but he will remain a cardinal.