From The Boston Globe: A Cardinal's Shameless Struggle For Survival

The Boston Globe has an article about Cardinal Mahony's effort to remain in charge in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Here's the story: A cardinal's shameless struggle for survival

Here's a quote:

The record $660 million settlement that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay victims of clergy sex abuse marks the denouement of a strange legal drama. The litigation turned into a survival struggle for Cardinal Roger Mahony.

Mahony waged an expensive fight, which he lost at every rung of the ladder, to prevent release of clergy personnel files. The documents have still not been released. In 2002, church lawyers blocked the Los Angeles district attorney's subpoenas for files of priests targeted for criminal investigation.

As the clock ticked on statutes of limitations, several cases died. Meanwhile, as civil cases mounted, release of the disputed clergy personnel files became a core issue for survivors, who wanted the truth revealed. What is Mahony hiding?

Mahony's personal judgment has long been suspect. Consider Father Carl Sutphin, who shared living quarters with Mahony in two cathedrals over seven years until a 2002 Los Angeles police investigation of charges that Sutphin molested two sets of brothers. Only then did the cardinal force his retirement. In 1991, Mahony had sidelined Sutphin, a classmate of his in seminary, when a Phoenix man informed the cardinal that the priest had abused him and his twin brother years earlier. Sutphin went to St. Luke Institute in Suitland, Md., for treatment after which he became chaplain in a retirement home. At the time of his suspension, Sutphin was a resident with Mahony at Our Lady of Angels Cathedral.

Consider also Monsignor Richard A. Loomis, who was for several years Mahony's vicar of clergy, responsible for the investigation of sexual abuse allegations. After Loomis was sued civilly as an abuser himself, Mahony stood by Loomis -- until a second victim came forward. One could go on, and on, with accounts of the cardinal's support of predators and callous disregard for victims. That pattern of governance was central to the litigation.

Mahony has made public apologies, while hiding behind the argument that therapists advised him to reassign repeat offenders. How many children must a priest abuse before a cardinal deems him morally unfit? The cold print in the priests' files is Mahony's nightmare.

Mahony's lawyers used a First Amendment ruse, arguing that constitutional freedom of religion cloaked a bishop's paper trail with pedophile priests. Stiff-arming judges, plaintiff attorneys, prosecutors, and abuse survivors, Mahony was buying time to protect himself, hoping media coverage would die down.

Be sure to read the rest of the article.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[Patrick]

Consider Father Carl Sutphin, who shared living quarters with Mahony in two cathedrals over seven years until a 2002 Los Angeles police investigation of charges that Sutphin molested two sets of brothers.

Yuck.

Why does a cardinal archbishop need to share living quarters with anyone?

[Lisa Noonan]

I'm going to say something really harsh (please forgive):

What happened to Thomas O'Brien, former bishop of Phoenix(http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=22999), is what has to happen to Mahony to force him out of that position. O'Brien's judgment was suspect but it took these horrible events for people to admit it. Mahony, now, will otherwise be there until the cows come home until there is some kind of explosive to blast him out of that seat.

Phoenix is now blessed: Bishop Olmsted is a model bishop, and we are lucky to have him help rebuild after O'Brien's decimation. He has both publicly and quietly cleaned house... and his job is far from done. LA needs a Bishop Olmsted to clean house there.

My condolences to the LA Archdiocese... poor folks.

[Edward A Garabedian]

Does Rodger Cardinal Mahony really believe that he is above the church and its laity with his presumption that he is a model leader for the archdiocese of Los Angeles???

At this stage we can only hope that Pope Benedict XVI will act accordingly and replace the cardinal at the earliest possible date and reassign the cardinal to a place/location where he can no longer be a leader or harmful to further laity.

[Rick Gibson]

I am a Catholic in Los Angeles. It is just appalling that Mahoney is still our Cardinal. I think that he belongs in jail, because, for years, he used his power to cover up crimes and to protect predators. I do not understand why the Pope does not remove this shame from our Church. The situation is so utterly unacceptable at some many levels. First, Mahoney just spent $660 million of God's money, not to help the poor, not to spread the word of God, but to avoid having to personally testify in Court about his crimes. Second, Mahoney brings shame on all of us. The Church is openly mocked on talk radio, and elsewhere, because our Cardinal protects child molestors. At a time when our society is so badly in need of moral leadership, we are saddled with a Cardinal who is even worst than the pornographers of Hollywood. The Pople should act, and act now.

[TradCath]

Lisa, I echo your sentiments exactly. Obrien was not only a poor excuse for a bishop, but a miserable human being at that. He maliciously and surgically carved out any/all traditional elements from his diocese and surpressed the Tridentine mass for over a decade. He gave the church a black-eye with his hit-and-run killing. I'll bet Mahoney has some skelletons in the closet that are just waiting to fall out. Maybe some kick-backs in his multi-million dollar "Rog Mahal" fiasco?

Either way, I am getting more and more confident every day that our blessed Pope Benedict has a plan to "clean house" as you put it. He may be intentionally waiting for the authorities to finish Mahoney off before he takes any action.

[Boniface]

You really have to wonder if Mahoney believes in God, or if he became a priest so as to access a network of other men.
You also have to wonder how full the collection plates will be in the archdiocese of LA now that the people know where their money is going, and why.
As for Jolly Roger himself, he needs to be retired to a chaplaincy position at a convent; at least we know there won't be any shenanigans.

[Edward A. Garabedian]

Perhaps continuous commentary concerning the cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles will reach someone or commence a "class action" against his continued leadership of this archdiocese.

Isn't it time for Los Angeles to breathe a breath of fresh air following so many years of poor and misleading direction from "His Eminence". It is obvious as the days move forward since the settlement announcement that THE CARDINAL'S presumption of the media fading away into the background will permit him to renew himself with the laity - CLEARLY, THE LAITY SHOULD SEND A RESOUNDING MESSAGE THAT THE CARDINAL IS NO LONGER WELCOME TO BE ITS LEADER - IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP!!!!

[Jimbo]

I have known some "dogs" over the years. It is always the case that their actions give them away, whether a careless word, a glance, etc. Didn't Mahoney have any sense of this with the priest he had as roommates? He had some pretty wretched people under his roof. Did he do it to keep a closer eye on them? I wonder. Anyone who chooses this kind of person to affiliate is perhaps too intriqued-comfortable with perversity. I really do wish to know how much he knew, when he knew it, and what he really thought and did about it. The files will dispell all doubts. And I know eventually they will be released, since everything whispered in a room will be shouted from the rooftop. If he has taken such pains to keep everything secret, then nothing will be so perfect than their being released to the public he has been trying to dupe.

[Edward A. Garabedian]

Why does the archdiocese of Los Angeles have to awaken to another day without a cardinal archbishop who leads by example.

Clearly, Roger Cardinal Mahony fails to meet this expectation and Rome should exercise its authority by removing this blight from its laity.

[Joe]

The Herodox Cardinal Mahoney has got to go. He puts a shame on everyone here. I do have a bit of an embarassment factor that I am apart of this archdicoese. (My funding to move to St. Louis hasn't been made yet)...I believe Pope Benedict is going to clean house though. I just think he needs to start here first.

[Joey]

It is quite unfortunate for Cardinal Mahony to have to protect his archdiocese and preserve it for his successor in the best financial condition that he can hand it over. It is further unfortunate that he can't claim "executive privilage" like president Bush. I'm praying for the Cardinal and all the faithful of L.A.