VATICAN CITY -- The sermon that Cardinal Bernard Law preached in St. Peter's Basilica was not political but theological, self-effacing and appropriate for a funeral. That did nothing to calm the outrage from victims of childhood sexual abuse by priests, who said that the man who was forced to resign from the Archdiocese of Boston for protecting such priests should not offer one of the nine official Masses for Pope John Paul II.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, is helped through a crowd of reporters and photographers yesterday outside the basilica. Click photo for larger image. Related coverage Rules for electing a pope Updates from the Associated Press

"The Catholic cardinals from America have stood by and allowed this to continue," said Barbara Blaine of Chicago, founder of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, who arrived in Rome yesterday morning.

"It is not about punishing Cardinal Law; it's just that his presence in such a position brings about pain and suffering" to those who remember that he kept known sex offenders in ministry, Blaine said.

"We are concerned that the cardinals are sending a message that there won't be an emphasis on the sexual abuse scandal in the next papacy."

According to John-Peter Pham, a former papal diplomat and an expert on papal transition, Vatican protocol dictated that Law celebrate yesterday's Mass.

By tradition, he said, it must be celebrated by the archpriest of either St. Peter's, St. John Lateran or St. Mary Major, where Law is archpriest. No one can preach twice during the novendiales, or nine Masses of mourning. Since the archpriest of St. Peter's preached Saturday and the archpriest of St. John Lateran -- in his role as vicar of Rome -- preached Sunday, that left Law for yesterday.

Many Roman cardinals believe that Law was punished enough when he was stripped of his diocese, said the Rev. Thomas Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine America.

"Many cardinals in Rome feel ... that now it is time to forgive him and allow him to say a Mass like this."

Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Cardinal Bernard Law offers communion during services yesterday at St. Peter's Basilica. Click photo for larger image.

Law, garbed in a red and gold vestment, processed past the towering columns of St. Peter's, into which are carved statues of the founders of the great religious orders. Only one American cardinal, Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, accompanied him. Archbishop Sean O'Malley. who replaced him in Boston, is in Rome but was not present.

Fewer than 10 American priests were believed to be in the procession, and some of those were trying to concelebrate as many of the Masses for John Paul as possible. Among them was the Rev. Bernard Hebda, a Pittsburgh priest who holds an important post in the Vatican's canon law office.

One of the most important figures among them was Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul's closest aide and companion, who until last week never concelebrated Mass at St. Peter's because he acted as John Paul's master of ceremonies. It was ultimately Dziwisz whom the crowd applauded at this Mass.

Law's homily did not call attention to himself or to his relationship with John Paul. The previous two novendiales celebrants offered personal reminiscenses.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Nuns listen to services conducted by Cardinal Bernard Law at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican yesterday. Click photo for larger image.

Nothing in the homily seemed aimed at influencing the papal election.

Although Blaine was escorted out of St. Peter's Square for leafletting, Barbara Dorris, 57, SNAP's victim outreach coordinator from St. Louis, had no trouble entering the cathedral. The protesters did not disrupt the Mass. Dorris said she had mixed feelings about being there.

"I was raised a very devout Catholic. My grandparents were immigrants from Italy," said Dorris, who was sexually abused by a priest in childhood.

"Part of me is seeing things I've always dreamed of seeing and the other part of me is saying, 'What secrets are being hidden?' "