Pope Francis blessed the coffin and said a prayer asking God to be the final judge on what happens to the soul of disgraced cardinal Bernard Law at the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Thursday afternoon. The mass was officiated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals in accordance with protocol. Sodono shares a dubious record on handling of the clerical sex abuse scandal with vocal opposition to the Mexican founder of the Legion of Christ Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, who sexually abused young boys and fathered two children. Sodano said that “even cardinals make mistakes” in his homily. Law’s funeral was attended by cardinals present in Rome dressed in red vestments, but the mourners’ seats were almost all empty, save a few nuns and priests and ambassador designate of the United States to the Holy See Callista Gingrich and her husband Newt Gingrich.