“Cardinal Law, you recently quit after a lifetime of service when your role in covering up the clergy child rape scandal was revealed. What’s next?”

“I’m going to the Vatican!”

Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace from the archdiocese of Boston due to his role in a sexual abuse scandal that badly damaged the Catholic Church nationwide, has been chosen by his fellow cardinals to preside at one of the most prominent Masses to be offered for the late Pope John Paul II.

Law was selected to preside and preach Monday at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica. It will be the fourth of nine days of funeral Masses for John Paul at St. Peter’s.

The announcement from Archbishop Piero Marini, the Vatican’s chief liturgist, indicated that Law, who last year was named archpriest of the patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary Major, was chosen to represent the major patriarchal basilicas. Each cardinal who preaches during the so-called Novendiales — nine days — is supposed to represent some important ancient or contemporary aspect of the church.

Ohhh….the “important aspect of the church” jokes just tell themselves, don’t they? Just like large corporations or the mafia, even religious bureaucrats watch each others backs. The stink of corruption here is enough to remind you why most Christians in this country consider themselves protestants.