Gracias. Mucho bueno sabor.

So true.  I thought about God’s justice when I first read about this issue concerning Cardinal Mahoney.  It may take years but there will always be justice whether in this world or the next.  This is so sad for the Church since our enemies delight in hearing all this.  God bless Cardinal Gomez and all the bishops trying to clean the mess this abuse has created.

I am so grateful to God for our local missionary priest who is blessedly not about himself, buildings, publications, or status, but only about God, the sacraments, and those of us who are blessed in his service.

Thanks to God for Mother Angelica and EWTN.

Sad times when there are enemies within.
But I think of how God brought reform to his Church by raising up the great saints, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Theresa of Avila to name just two.
God allowed the very reforms they worked a life time to bring about, to be eventually taken from them through the envy of fellow Catholics.
We know that the enemies never win and God will never abandon his friends.

Abp Gomez has full authority within his own Diocese of LA regarding anything “Catholic”.
And since Cardinal Mahoney resides WITHIN (not outside) the LA Diocese, he is subject to Abp Gomez.
The only exceptions are (because they are outside the LA Diocese are - The cardinal sits on three Vatican offices:
the Congregation for Eastern Churches, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See.
He would normally keep those positions until the retirement age of 80.
When asked by Catholic News Service in Rome if Archbishop Gomez’s action to relieve Cardinal Mahony of administrative duties will affect his role with those offices, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi responded only by stating that the “measure taken by the archbishop naturally regards his archdiocese and not other duties that Cardinal Mahony has received from the pope in the Roman Curia.”
Therefore we should write to the US Papal Nuncio and the Vatican.
A wonderful book to read regarding Mother Angelica which includes her run-in’s with Cardinal Mahoney - who wanted her EWTN for himself and some other Bishops -is:
“Mother Angelica: the Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles” by Raymond Arroyo.

  It must also be remembered is how did we get him to be a Archbishop and Cardinal for LA? The late “Great” John Paul II did this in the mid to the late 80’s and nineties. As far as Mother Angelica she said at first that “Altar Girls” would not hurt the Church but it has and in many parishes mine too they have been phased out. Altar Girls was also John Paul the “Great” wonderful idea back in 1994 at the same time he said women could not be ordained as Priests. Mixed or conflicting signals maybe?

This should be a time for prayer and penance on the behalf of all of us.  There should be no gloating over someone “getting their justice” or over the ideologigal divide that existed between the Cardinal and anyone, or over who put Cardinal Mahony in his position.

We would not even be having this conversation if it weren’t for an incredible number of innocent souls that were preyed on.

May God have mercy on us all as we try to come through this horrible chapter.

JoshD
Nobody is gloating.

JoshD,

Stating facts is not gloating.

Mother Angelica continues her ‘silent’ suffering for EWTN amd tHe Church and the fruit of this suffering continues.  EWTN brings the Holy Father into our homes with beautiful liturgies into our homes; special hour long stories of the Saints, Daily Mass, Divine Mercy, Rosaries.  Amd much more.

If you want to be a Catholic who knows his Faith, tune in, 24 hours a day, & days a week. 

God bless you Mother for being willing to stand up for truth.

Yes, we wait to see the action of Rome… but didn’t Rome give Cardinal Law of Boston a cushy Vatican job when he really should be in a Massachusetts prison? I can’t imagine Mahoney’s cover-up actions can be any worse than Law’s.
None-the-less, “Be of good cheer” (John 16:33).
www.merrycatholic.com

Merry Catholic,

Law’s transfer was not cushy.  He went from being archbishop of one of the most prominent US archdiocese to being the baby-sitter for a pilgrimage and tourist site.  No authority, no influence, no important post.  It’s the kind of post that senior clerics are put in to keep them close to the pope because they can’t be trusted on their own.  That Law received a huge demotion was something well-known to those who understand Church inside-baseball.

The problem is that most people don’t Church inside-baseball.  So, a punishment that most people don’t even understand as a punishment really isn’t as effective.  I think being sent to a monastery to pray for the victims for the rest of his life would have been much better.

Fair enough, wineinthewater. I certainly do not understand Church inside-baseball (I’m not sure I really want to understand). Law’s assignment might very well be humiliating among other senior clerics. But a few years in the Walpole Correctional Facility probably would’ve served justice a little better.
“Be of good cheer!” (John 16:33)
www.merrycatholic.com

Joannie, I read it somewhere (can’t remember where) that altar girls were approved by Blessed John Paul II because he was tricked by the churches in the US.  I can’t recall all the details but a statement was made about altar girls being allowed and the Pope felt uncomfortable going against it.  I’m sure you could google it to get the details.

The MA authorities chose not to pursue charges against Cardinal Law, and likely would have done so even if he had stayed in the States.

Personally, I think a penitential colony on a northern Scottish island would be a good idea…

And Mahony dared to condemn Cardinal Law

Funny—Mother Angelica was exactly where my thoughts went upon reading this news—and the religious sister in my university theology class who was incensed at Mother on Cdl. Mahony’s behalf. Shocked at her insolence and disrespect. Oh boy!

We must also be concerned about the men guided by Mahony into bishop’s chairs of their own.

For example, there’s Mahony protege Bishop Jaime Soto of the Sacramento diocese who sits atop the ongoing Catholic Campaign for Human Development scandals of funding pro-abortion groups and anti-Catholic political activists.

The Church in America will be suffering the Mahony mess for years to come.

And let’s not forget the “Taj Mahony,” the Cathedral that Roger built.

When, Archbishop Gomez, are you going to deconscrate it, tear it down, and replace it with a Catholic cathedral?  As long as it stands, Roger has a permanent monument in stone.  The cathedra there is Roger’s cathedra.  Does he still want to sit on it?

Why is Archbishop Gomez being cast as the hero? Less than 48 hours ago, his legal team was still working as hard as it could to obstruct justice and hide the names of the guilty. I can’t help but see this as a cynical ploy to cut his losses and pretend he ‘knew nothink!’

Mahony is a monster who, Cardinal or not, belongs in prison.

The arrogance of this man is beyond belief. Looking at this in a larger context, the current sad status of the Church can be traced to the time of St. Pope Pius X. He released the Oath Against Modernism in 1910 when modernists were biding their time until they could inject their poison into the Church. As the 20th century moved along, they gained more and more power in the Church. Vatican II allowed them the opportunity they needed to take over and change Catholic doctrine, morals and of course Holy Mass. As a result, we have had cardinals, bishops and priests who have fostered an ‘anything goes’ mentality within the Church. Seminaries were allowed to become rife with homosexuals. Heterodoxy became widespread. Liturgical abuses common. False ecumenism paramount. Tradition disdained. The embrace of the homosexual and liberal agenda. And so on and so forth. Now in our time, the Catholic Church has become nearly unrecognizable and allowed to be an object of scorn and ridicule. Domine, miserere nobis. +JMJ+

I will never buy Mahoney’s assertion that he was not equipped to handle child abuse and priests. First of all anyone with a brain and heart would respond with horror at the notion of any child being harmed by any adult. The fact that he was dealing with priests of course gave the charges more weight and seriousness. Mahoney will have to stand before God one day and I seriously doubt his assertions will be accepted as viable.

I will pray for his soul.

Tis article had a lot of potential but really fell flat.
You make this comparison between two significant people in the Church but really provide almost negligible description about the conflict and individual Accomplishments that build legacies. well, let me add details to that…You give a sentence perhaps, which assumes everyone already knows the conflict between the two and the two so well that their legacies need little discussion. Hence, why write the article except to give a superficial condemnation of the archbishop. I’m not defending the bad decisions, but I do appreciate adding value to the discussion. If it was just a matter of weighing in and leaving it to the commentors, then don’t set us up by making such an interesting topic. It had me wanting more info. Actually, now I’m not sure whether I’m criticizing you or complimenting you, but you get my point.

John Paul II is justly called “Great” colloquially because of the his amazing ability to translate the consistent teaching of the Church to modernity; The vocations (both male & female) that his witness fostered, WYDs etc are only 2 examples. NB: No saint is ever canonized because they are perfect or without fault. Ever. They are canonized because they demonstrated heroic virtue during their lives.
  Since he demonstrated heroic virtue during his life on earth, I’m sure he is doing no less now that he’s in heaven so I’m sure that he’s forgiving those brave persons who are inclined to snipe the dead.

So much has happened under C. Mahony’s tenure.  Perhaps the civil authorities will accomplish what the Church was reluctant to do.

Joanie, please get your facts straight.  Altar girls were not John Paul the Great’s idea.  The Roman Catholic Church in America, after Vatican II, started allowing altar girls to serve at Mass.  The Vatican nixed the idea, but did the Bishops listen?  No.  After a few years, the Vatican allowed it, but to my great shame, Pope John Paul the Great, ever after, regarded America’s Roman Catholic Church as disobedient.  Another example of our disobedience was our dissent to Pope Paul VI’s “Humana Vitae”.  We have a lot to answer for.

I CONCUR WITH MY DEARLY DEPARTED GRANDMOTHER WHO WOULD SAY OF ALL THIS ITRIGUE AND SUBTERFUGE WITH SEX SCANDALS…“ALL THE GUILTY SHOULD BE HUNG LIKE APPLES.”

I generally give the Church a pass on the handling of molesters up until 1991 or so. That’s when mandatory reporting laws came into being. Prior to that, there a was a belief among pop psychologists predators could be treated successfully and reintroduced into former positions. The attitude was prevalent in not only the church but also among educators, courts, and academic based criminologists. District attorneys generally fought against lax treatment of molesters, but many judges sided with psychologists who were long on theory, but short on fact. Rap sheets were replete with molestation convictions and diversion to community programs. Unless the predator actually maimed or killed the victim, diversion was almost a given. All this to say, a bishop reassigning a priest after counseling was in keeping with general guidelines.

Please understand I did not agree with the method of handling molesters. It was what it was. A bad system cloaked in a mantle of helping the offender feel good about himself with little regard for the victim.

After 1991 all bets were off. Cardinal Mahony was required by law to report anyone whom he was advised had molested a minor. If the person didn’t bring it to the cardinal in confession, then there’s no excuse, the cardinal appears to have been more concerned about a potential scandal than protecting the victims. He also told priests who proclaimed their innocence that if they wanted to fight charges, they were on their own, the diocese was going to settle cases, regardless of the damage done to innocent priest. How about that for a boss?

Mother Angelica has fought the good fight. She has taught us to be fearless in defense of righteousness, and humble in achievement.  The good cardinal could learn plenty from this feisty Italian chick.

What makes anyone think AB Gomez and others not involved did not know what was going on?  Clergy down the line who knew something—and said nothing “privately” to law enforcement are not “holy” men of God.  Since protecting brother priests seems to be the utmost priority, how quickly these men forget what Peter said to his Jewish church leaders of the day:  “We must obey God rather than men.”  No Cardinal or Bishop is “God.”

I offered Mahoney choice of two millstones in my father’s basement.

All I can say at this point is that the more I read about what happened under Cardinal Mahony’s “reign”  and about Cardinal Mahony’s own recent comments (still refusing to be accountable, blaming his education and training, pointing the finger now at Archbishop Gomez (as if that takes culpability away from himself)) the more nauseous I become. I find this whole situation outrageous, and I fear that if the Catholic Church (meaning Pope Benedict and the Vatican) does not take some appropriate action against Cardinal Mahony such as removing him from the 3 official postions he is still on (outside of the L.A. archdiocese), and, far more importantly, shipping him off to an appropriate monastery where he can pray and do penance (perhaps to the silent Cistercians or some other luxury-less monastery in rather more austere climate and surroundings than southern Los Angeles), then our Church will lose all semblance of credibility as Keeper of the Faith in the world. Cardinal Mahony is THE person responsible for impeding justice for these priests, protecting them or (in one case, even warning the Mexican priest so that he fled back to Mexico and is still a fugitive),keeping them from getting therapy/counselling which may have helped some of them, and leaving them out in society and transferring them to other areas as priests so they could continue to inflict sexual abuse on many, many victims (mostly children). He has to be seen by the world to be punished for what he did by the Roman Catholic Church and hopefully to make some atonement for this awful sin he committed or the Roman Catholic Church loses all credibility, in my opinion.

Bridget,
Good comments.

Shirley, thanks for elaborating on the altar girls issue.  It is not Blessed John Paul’s fault. He was a peachmaker but I think Pope Benedict wouldn’t have let it go thru if he had been pope. I saw the show where Mother Angelica said - we have altar girls now and all the liberals obeyed. And everyone laughed.

Hey TG, JP II was a “peachmaker”? How come my typos aren’t this cute?
“Be of good cheer!” (John 16:33)
www.merrycatholic.com

A hot cup of coffee in the morning, starting up my computer and orifice my browser to start my Google search in behalf of the era and a twisty part of bric-…-brac ran through my main part wondering – what more the http://trivitanopaleascam.blogspot.com scam liking, is it indeed that dangerous or it’s bluffing only?

Clinton is correct. If Christ were here in person, He would be turning over tables everywhere. Does Pope Benedict have the courage to restore order to Christ’s House? Why allow this Great Apostasy which bears nothing but rotten fruit through a false ecumenism, to continue?

Cardinal Law is “punished” in Rome??
Have you seen his residence?  I have. With
A $1000.00 a month pension and “obedient nuns to wait on him
And a lavish party at a 5 star restaurant. Pul-Leese!

My apologies to Pope Benedict. He did what he could. It is the responsibility of the local Bishop to tend to his flock. What is needed is a Miracle, and every Miracle requires an act of Faith.

I have no doubt, knowing that Cardinal Mahoney will be part of the Conclave to vote for a new Pope, that Pope Benedict had to flee for fear of the wolves who have allowed so many to be led astray. We must protect our Pope!

F.Y.I.-

moynihanreport.com/

I was surprised to see Cardinal Mahony in the front pew of the Sistine Chapel concelebrating Mass today with the newly elected Pope Francis. I also viewed his “ecstatic” interview on local LA CBS station celebrating his role in the conclave. I hope and pray fervently that his political machinations do not turn the head of the Holy Father away from the justice that is necessary for the church to rebuild. This individual must be controlled in order for lay people like myself to regain full confidence in its clerics. Keep the wolves-in-sheeps-clothing far from our children and teenagers and especially far from any opportunities to distort Church teachings on the Real Presence. Until then my wife and I will not blindly give our hard earned money to clerics to use it against us by weakening and stealing our familys good81faith.