Peru's cardinal says he is victim of smear campaign

I am reluctant to post an article from the National Catholic Distorter, but, as they say, even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally...

Anyway, something is going on here, perhaps in an attaempt to discredit Opus Dei. And many, including some at the Vatican, for some reason, want this "swept under the rug".

When a civil investigation now underway is finished, Peru's Opus Dei cardinal believes it will demonstrate that a remarkable, if rather inept, "dirty tricks" campaign against him was orchestrated by elements within the Catholic church, including some of his fellow Peruvian bishops.

Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, generally seen as an arch-conservative, also says that if the truth does come out, it will be despite Vatican pressure to sweep matters under the rug.

Fake letters have not been the only crisis for Cipriani, who is lightning rod for controversy in Peru.

In recent months, he has been publicly accused of involvement in the "assassination" of his predecessor, Cardinal Augusto Vargas, even though most observers believe that Vargas died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Cipriani was also linked in press accounts to a famous massacre of teachers during the years of Shining Path terrorism in Peru, another charge he has vociferously denied.

"It's one lie after another, for 16 years," Cipriani said. "Many of these lies come from inside [the church], not from outside. For me this really hurts."

Some of us can understand immediately what's going on - there are two strikes against him right off the bat - he's "conservative" and a member of Opus Dei, the "watchdogs" for the Holy Father...The good Lord must be watching over him and taking care of him - he is still alive!

Article here.