Roger Cardinal Mahony's "Friends & Lovers"

California Catholic Daily has a report on "homoerotic art featured at auction held Saturday at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral to benefit AIDS clinics in Mexico".

Here's the story: “Friends and Lovers”

Here's a sample from the article:

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation held an art exhibition and auction last night at the conference center of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles to raise money for clinics it sponsors in Tijuana and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

A California Catholic Daily reader who saw a preview of the event on a Los Angeles television program alerted the newsaper via email regarding the event. "They showed some of the items, and it was really gross -- men hugging, tops bared, nude males back scenes," said the reader in the email.

The title for the event was “Amigos y Amantes” (Friends and Lovers).

“Showcasing the work of notable and emerging Latino artists, this lively celebration of Latino art and culture will take place on Saturday, February 10th from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Conference Room in downtown Los Angeles. Entrance is $25.00 and includes complimentary appetizers and no host bar,” said an AIDS Healthcare Foundation flyer promoting the event.

Among the artists whose works were on display were Joey Terrill and Miguel Angel Reyes. A biography on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation website has this to say of Terrill: “a man whose art and identity -- as a Latino, a gay man, a person living with HIV, an activist and an artist -- have always been closely connected. Several of Joey’s paintings, which often document his relationships with friends, lovers and family, will be up for auction as part of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s art exhibition and fundraiser to benefit its free AIDS treatment clinics in Mexico.”

And, of Reyes, the website offers this insight: “Miguel counts as a primary influence his friendship with Morris Kight, gay civil rights pioneer and AIDS activist, whom many consider to be the founder of the West Coast gay rights movement. When they met, Morris was older than Miguel by more than forty years.

“When asked about his current projects, Miguel offers: ‘I’m working on a series of drawings of men grooming -- combing their hair, taking a shower, drying themselves. Simple, everyday actions.’ He adds with a laugh, ‘Naked, of course.’”

A highly-stylized piece of art by Reyes featured on the website pictures two shirtless, barefoot men facing each other with the caption, “In the Future, Everyone Will be Able to Play with Themselves.”

What can be said about this? It can't be surprising – not in the Archdiocese of the rainbow fish: Cd. Mahony's fishy fish lure

How much more confusion must be tolerated? Doesn't Rome realize that by appearing to do nothing, Catholics are confused. Don't they know that progressives point to Mahony and say that Pope John Paul II made him a bishop, and then a cardinal, and Pope Benedict XVI continues to allow him to remain in authority, without correction, in Los Angeles, and therefore what Mahony is doing must be okay with the Church?

Why must we wait for his retirement, to the detriment of millions of souls?

Any thoughts?

Comments

[Dude]

Ok. I'm not even going to come close to insinuating that this bishop is gay, and that gay priests and bishops - whether celibate or not - are extremely problematic, and should not make it to the seminary.

Hey Beavis, heheh, er, huhuhuh...he said 'art.'

Gay pornography in the church, with the facade of 'art.'

I'm so unsurprised and jaded at this point, I have to admit, I'm not even angry.

The order of the day in the church.

America is not the only or primary place with this problem.

Or wait, is too judgemental?

[A Simple Sinner]

Dude,

I so agree. I am not even suprised and too tired to be upset. Card. Rog has been up to this for years. Like a child who is always misbehaving, are the parents ever suprised anymore when they get a call from the principal's office?

The sad thing is what a cheap rip-off of the Episcopal Church drama the RC in America is pulling...

Year after year that boondoggle of an organization has been suffering "just one more indignity" while waiting for its traditionalists to die or disappear. Just deaconesses. Just female deacons. Just female priests. Just female bishops. Just openly gay deacons in gay "unions". Just openly gay priests in gay "unions". Just openly gay bishops in gay "unions"...

It got more and more and more ridiculous yearly.

So Cardinal Roger and the rest of the Cali gang do their best to catch up with CRAP like this. Too little, too late.

So I am sorry, old guys. You are too little too late. A sad imitation going nowhere. A day late and a dollar short and just look stupid and unoriginal. Let this BS be the schtick of the Episcopalians and ELCA Lutherans. They do it better.

[Atlanta Catholic]

Veni Sancti Spiritus! Renew the face of the earth! I know it is a tall order but Los Angeles would be a great starting point. The Diocese of Orange could also use some housecleaning. Pope Benedict, we will support the discipline of these false shepherds. Be not afraid!

[dmedici]

I will pledge decades of the rosary for the Cardinal. Who will join me?

[Patrick]

A few years ago, I attended a parish in a "certain diocese" staffed by a good priest. During a homily, one Sunday, he alluded to problems like this - and to bishops like this. He stated, with great confidence, that God will send saints to renew the Church. I hope he is correct.

[OrthoCat]

The problem in L.A. is that the man who is Cardinal Archbishop is not a Catholic. I don't know what he is, but Catholic he ain't. I am so frustrated with Rome. How is it that a man like Mahony who has done such harm to the Church is able to go on with impunity.

Holy Mary, true Queen of Los Angeles, please pray for us.

[James]

Mahony runs the el-primo queer and pederast Catholic shop in the United States.

The man is a consummate liar; he's housed unrepentant pederasts in his own home; he appears never to have been disciplined by anyone in the Church (Hello - Pope? Nuncio? Anyone there?).

Mahony's deeply implicated in the pederast scandal.

And nothing...

There's apparently no one at all in the Church who will do anything about this.

When those who lead the Church fall below what the common man on the street knows about right and wrong - only the common man on the street will be able to save the day.

What I'm sayin' is that the leaders of the Church don't have the fortitude or will or soul to do anything about certain types of evil infections in the Church anymore.

It's up to the average folk now.

And what should they do? They should expose to the light of day every bit of evil and perversion this man has been involved in.

They should publicize it far and wide - until the 'leaders' of the Church are too embarrassed and ashamed to not do anything. (That is, of course, if they are capable of shame. Mahony himself seems not to be.)

James

[David1]

Patrick,
What would be interesting is to contemplate what the saints God will send will actually do to renew the Church. It would be interesting to look back in history for examples (such as St. Francis).

[Trubador]

I'm a parishioner in Roger Dodger's archdiocese, and I'm hoping and praying just as much as the next guy (and gal), hoping for his being replaced ASAP.

Unforunately, the problem goes much, much deeper than just the bishop. It's a wide-spread problem with existing staff and administration within the diocese. A thorough house-cleaning is in serious order by whomever eventually replaces Mahoney (and a necessary split-off of part of such a large diocese as L.A. (8 million) - possibly the Santa Barbara & Ventura counties, along with the part of the San Fernando Valley).

[Dude]

After reading these posts, I have several thoughts.

1) A while back, I asked for somebody to refer an 'orthodox' Roman Cathlolic Church in the Los Angeles area for me to send a protty friend to. A couple of suggestions came up, but nothing Roman Catholic in the traditional sense of liturgy. While blame was placed with Cardinal Mahoney, it indicates a much more deep-seated problem.

I sent out emails to many apologists online, and none were able to reply back with a church they'd recommend...AMAZING! How many churches in L.A., and none were referred!

2) This problem is probably just as bad per capita in other diocese's, but L.A. gets the most showtime due to size and location. My archbishop (Harry Flynn - Minneapolis/St. Paul) was giving communion to rainbow sashers wearing their sashes while receiving communion, at the Cathedral of St. Paul. We fired off a ton of letters to Rome. Cardinal Arize called A.B. Flynn to Rome, told him 'no mas' and Flynn came back here and told us (including the media) that Arinze said it was up to Flynn. Many of us suspsected this was untrue, and wrote to Arinze again. Arinze went on record saying A.B. Flynn misrepresented (lied perhaps?) what Arinze said to Flynn in Rome. Again - AMAZING! After getting set straight (no pun intended) by Arinze a second time, no communion for the Rainbow swishers, er, I mean sashers.
Also, Flynn (74 years old or so) has essentially been given the vote of no confidence in choosing his successor. He has been appointed a co-adjutor. This is not normal, as an archbishop usually has some say in such matters. Flynn was quite disappointed in this.

Lesson: Write letters, and tons of them. Always, always, always make them polite in language, but honest and to the point with regards to content. Don't beat around the bush and use metaphors. The language and verbage of what they are doing - written in textbook language - speaks for itself.

3) The latin mass will not fix this, nor did this happen because of the Novus Ordo. This is due to homosexuality being tolerated at the seminary, then they become priests, then they become bishops and cardinals. It's really that simple.

4) Again, here is where I get in trouble with my fellow posters and step off the neo-orhtodox trail. I think the 'discipline' of compulsory celibacy needs to be re-evaluated.

5) This is not an American problem. This is a worldwide problem, consistent in time with celibacy.

6) Don't be afraid to call a spade a spade, even if others are weak, too polite and equivocate.

7) I think this time around it is going to take a different type of saint than St. Francis. His type called people to holiness. These new gay activists and 'liberals' in general are an entirely different animal from the get-go.
They'd walk all over St. Francis, and tell him what to say and think.

We need more John Cardinal O'Connor's, Francis Cardinal Arinze's, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz's, Bishop Samuel Aquila, Bishop Burke and their like.
We also need more tough guys at the level of laity, and less worry about hurting people's feeling's.

Great that folks are hoping for holy people who pray and such (always necessary) but we need more street-fighters, well-versed apologists and activists who are willing to get their knuckles dirty on our side. When there are serious appeals to write letters, we need to discomfort ourselves and do these things.

Semper Fidelis

[HanseaticEd]

Dude is right. Write letters, and don't stop. Prayer and action is what is required, along with the confidence that the gates of hell will not prevail.

It pains me to read that such flagrant abuses of Truth abound, but such abuses are no more worrisome than the general post-theological malaise evident across the Church.

We have the responsibility to engage seriously with the questions we face, and when the emperor has no clothes, to shout it from the mountain tops.

Pax.

[Patrick]

Dude,

Your advice is very good. I agree with just about everything you said. However, I just want to make it clear that those of us who support the Traditional Latin Mass do not think it will transform the "lavender mafia" into into Pius X.

We do not want the TLM to be forced on priests and bishops who have no use for it. We simply want to create an alternative which attracts good priests with real vocations. Hopefully, it will produce good fruit (maybe that isn't the best choice of words) while the other rots on the vine.

[Dude]

Patrick, good to hear. I realize that there are wing-nuts on all sides, but I so frequently hear from the rad-trads that this has come to be due to Vatican II and the Novus Ordo.

I'm also with you on the TLM being available.

Glad you replied.

[joanne]

Whoa! This is one of those times to complain, no doubt! I think you're right, Dude, there's no way to fight this sort of thing without risking a little mud in addition to prayer.

[joanne]

Hey, wait a minute! This was a benefit to help CURE AIDS? What can they be thinking? How can homo-erotic art HELP the situation?
That's like throwing a "drink & drown" party to benefit those who suffer from alcoholism!

[Gary]

I have no idea if the Cardinal is a homosexual, but he sure seems to be preoccupied with homosexuality.

[Patrick]

Dude,

The first time I read your comment I missed the part about celibacy. Personally, I do not think celibacy is the problem. The church has required a promise of celibacy from diocesan priests for centuries. There are heterosexual guys who want to be priests, but they are discouraged. However, we can agree to disagree on that.

Also, St. Francis could actually be a pretty gutsy guy. He walked right into the hands of hostile muslims fully expecting to martyred.

I do agree with your main idea that we need to make some noise.

[Dude]

Patrick, no problem on the celibacy thing, except I challenge the 2 points of what you said;
1) I think, and believe I can prove that we have had a gay problem in the clergy and all-male orders for hundreds, and possibly thousands of years. This problem pre-dates Woodstock (chuckle chuckle), Vatican II and WW II.
Yes many straights were turned away, but I think they are easily outnumbered by the number of sexually conflicted young men who were accepted into seminary. I would bet the number of sexually conflicted potential seminarians applying to seminary (initially) is imbalanced.

2) I don't think St. Francis was lacking in fear, he just was not the street-fighter type like Brukewitz and Burke. These guys know the enemy, and aren't afraid to get into the propaganda game in front of the media.

Stay cool.

[Patrick]

Dude,

One of the problems is that candidates for the priesthood are not properly screened - especially since the 60s. The priesthood is attractive to individuals who don't want to explain to their parents why there will be no grandchildren. There should be more attention paid to who is entering the seminary and why.

Since, Vatican II the liturgy has become increasingly feminized. This only serves to make the priesthood even more attractive to certain types.

I read somewhere that the old liturgy is a more masculine affair - at least with regard to the role of the priest. The priest, in the pre-Vat II liturgy, is cast in the role of a leader. He leads the people to the altar of God. The old liturgy is more "rule-based" (a masculine trait) and less "feelings-based."

The new liturgy is often flamboyant and highlights the priest's personality (narcissism). He is no longer an "alter Christus." He is Father Chucko with the funny jokes.

The priests I remember from elementary school were very different (they were masculine) from many of the priests one encounters today. I remember one scandal involving a priest. He was seen exiting an adult woman's apartment at 4 AM.

I don't mean to imply that changing the liturgy will solve the problem. It is just one more piece of the puzzle.

If the celibacy requirement is eliminated we may simply be exchanging one set of problems for another set of problems.

Lastly, I don't want to offend any good priests who may read this. However, I am sure, if they are good priests, they will agree that there is a problem.

[James]

Some comments from posters at FreeRepublic:

"had a chance conversation with someone from that diocese the other day who tells me he has heard that Roger will be in jail before the end of the year. I don't know if this is true or not, but his source seemed pretty good. Apparently there is some case about to be brought in which he is directly involved and which cannot be made to "go away" by a settlement because it is a criminal matter. So with any luck, it won't be four more years. But then, it could be that the person who told me this is just engaging in wishful thinking, which would be pretty understandable in this situation. Good luck; any Catholic who has to live under Mahony has probably taken about a billion years off his Purgatory!"

"The chancery office in L.A. is full of people who are sympathetic to the gay agenda. The man in charge of the archdiocesan web site is an openly gay deacon who was ordained a few years ago by the cardinal. And there are several "gay friendly" parishes."

"Thanks, really, for reminding me that I share the same faith with Cardinal MaCreepy."

James

[John]

THIS IS COMING FROM A CONVERT TO THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN FAITH, ONE WHO LEFT THE APOSTASY OF MY FORMER BAPTIST/ANGLICAN BACKGROUND TO ENTER THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO WITNESS MORE THAN A FEW ABUSIVE SACRILIGIOUS NOVUS ORDO (PAULINE/POST VAT 2 MESSES) THAT RESEMBLED MORE A PROTESTANT SERVICE THAN ANYTHING REMOTELY LIKE A LATIN RITE CATHOLIC MASS.WHO RUNS THE CHURCH IF ENTITIES LIKE MAHONEY, BROWN, KASPAR, RICARD AND A HOST OF OTHER POST VATICAN TWO REVISIONISTS ARE STILL IN PLACE, STILL WRECKING SOULS SUPPOSEDLY IN THEIR CARE.WHEN WILL THE VATICAN GET OFF IT'S ASS AND LAISIZE THESE LIBERAL ABUSIVE CUMBY YA 60ISH PRELATES AND PRIESTS???? WHEN WILL THE VATICAN ADMIT THE GROSS MISTAKES THAT HAVE UNDERMINE THE FAITH OF 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE SINCE THE COUNCIL CALLED VATICAN 2.WE HAD THE NAIVITEE OF JOHN 23 WHO CALLED THE COUNCIL, THE FASCISTIC HAND OF PAUL 6 WHO DESTROYED THE MASS & THE THEATRICS AND HOLLOWNESS OF JOHN PAUL 2. I'M BEGINNING TO THINK IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE PROMISES OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT THE WHOLE MACHEVELLIAN GANG IN THE VATICAN WOULD BE DOING THEIR DANCE IN HELL, OR TO QUOTE A BELOVED SAINT AND CHURCH FATHER THE FLOOR OF HELL IS COVERED WITH THE SCULLS OF BISHOPS. AGAIN WHEN WILL THIS, THE BEST POPE IN 40 YEARS START CLEANING THE CRAP FROM GODS HOUSE????????

[Ryan]

Do conservative Catholics ever stop complaining? All you do is look for people to tear down.

[Joseph-USA]

John -

It will happen when enough of us clamour and howl and scream for it.

These pathetic post Vatican II popes actually seem to be guided by "popular opinion" rather than ANYTHING of God's Word or the "constant teachings" of His Church on earth.

Hopefully Mahoney will get the crap kicked out of him a few more times on Los Angeles sidewalks (that seemingly is the ONLY action which results in the pope taking notice and Laicizing a "priest"), soon!

[EVERALDO HINOJOSA]

7-16-2008
AND OPEN LETTER TO; CARDINAL MAHONY

DEAR CARDINAL MAHONY:

I AM A, LIFE LONG, CATHOLIC. I ATTENDED CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOR MANY YEARS, IN THE PAST, AS I AM SIXTY NINE YEARS OLD. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION, THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED TO SELL THE BUILDING/PROPERTY, WHERE THE, SELF HELP GRAPHIC ARTS, PEOPLE, HAVE BEEN DOING A GREAT SERVICE TO THE CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY, AT LARGE. I ASSUME THIS WAS A GOOD FINANCIAL MOVE FOR YOU AND THE CHURCH. IT SEEMS TO ME, THE CHURCH HAS MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY/ASSETS, THAT THEY DID NOT NEED TO SELL THE, SELF HELP, PROPERTY TO PAY ANY BILLS, IT HAS. HOWEVER, I THINK YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND AND FUND A SIMILAR BUILDING/PROPERTY, IN THE SAME COMMUNITY, FOR THOSE YOU HAVE DISPLACED, AS STATED BEFORE. HOW DO YOU INTEND TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM, YOU HAVE CAUSED? IF NOT, WHY NOT?

MOST RESPECTFULLY,
EVERALDO HINOJOSA

[EVERALDO HINOJOSA]

7-16-2008
AND OPEN LETTER TO; CARDINAL MAHONY

DEAR CARDINAL MAHONY:

I AM A, LIFE LONG, CATHOLIC. I ATTENDED CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOR MANY YEARS, IN THE PAST, AS I AM SIXTY NINE YEARS OLD. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION, THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED TO SELL THE BUILDING/PROPERTY, WHERE THE, SELF HELP GRAPHIC ARTS, PEOPLE, HAVE BEEN DOING A GREAT SERVICE TO THE CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY, AT LARGE. I ASSUME THIS WAS A GOOD FINANCIAL MOVE FOR YOU AND THE CHURCH. IT SEEMS TO ME, THE CHURCH HAS MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY/ASSETS, THAT THEY DID NOT NEED TO SELL THE, SELF HELP, PROPERTY TO PAY ANY BILLS, IT HAS. HOWEVER, I THINK YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND AND FUND A SIMILAR BUILDING/PROPERTY, IN THE SAME COMMUNITY, FOR THOSE YOU HAVE DISPLACED, AS STATED BEFORE. HOW DO YOU INTEND TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM, YOU HAVE CAUSED? IF NOT, WHY NOT?

MOST RESPECTFULLY,
EVERALDO HINOJOSA