Poor Cardinal Roger Mahony. He says he has been humiliated.
The 76-year- old former archbishop of the Los Angeles diocese says he has been defamed and apparently hurt by people who are angry at him.
Well sure they are.
They’re irate because recently disclosed files show he violated California law and shielded predator priests from disclosure and possible arrest for involvement in some 500 child abuse cases. Besides, the $660 million the archdiocese paid as settlement for the crimes simply can’t compensate for the lewd sacrileges.
In a Valentine’s Day blog titled “Called to Humiliation,” the Cardinal writes that he is, “asking for the grace to endure the level of humiliation.” He continues:
“In the past several days, I have experienced many examples of being humiliated….I have been confronted in various places by very unhappy people. I could understand the depth of their anger and outrage—at me, at the Church, at about injustices that swirl around us. Thanks to God’s special grace, I simply stood there, asking God to bless and forgive them.”
The Cardinal says he understands. But does he?
The “depth of anger,” has been brewing for years. It boiled over with the court-ordered release of files the Cardinal fought for years to conceal. The documents showed he knew California law required reporting child abuse incidents, yet he hushed up the crimes. He moved the accused priests around—sometimes out of state—to protect them.
The Cardinal’s own words reveal the cover-up.
Although he underwent specifically limited questioning about the child abuse scandals some time ago, the prelate is slated to be quizzed again on Saturday, February 23. At this deposition there will be no limit on the range of questions about how he and his minions handled child-abuse cases. The Cardinal is expected to be grilled specifically about the actions of the Rev Nicolas Aguilar Rivera. Police are seeking the now-defrocked and fugitive priest in connection with molesting 26 youngsters in Los Angeles in 1987. The former priest is believed to be hiding in Mexico.
Following the new interrogation, the Cardinal will leave for Rome to participate in selection of a new Pope. Some insist he should not participate in the election. In fact, Catholics United, the non-partisan U.S. political group, has announced it is leading a nationwide effort to urge the Cardinal to recuse himself.
What’s more, the National Catholic Reporter’s John L. Allen writes in a February 19 blog that based on a newsmagazine poll, it appears many Italians want Cardinal Mahony to “stay away” from the Papal election. Mr. Allen noted that in response to a poll by the large-circulation Catholic newsmagazine Famiglia Cristiana, one reader wrote:
“It seems inconceivable to me that he [Cardinal Mahony] doesn’t feel the moral duty to abstain from the conclave. His participation would cause further scandal to the little ones, to the weak, to the defenseless. He should stay at home and pray.”
In many of his recent blog posts, the Cardinal writes piously about his spiritual approach to dealing with the hostile barbs and “scapegoating.” It’s as if all the uproar is about him. Actually it isn’t all about him. The sustained, fomenting outrage is at the ordained monsters who rape kids. The Cardinal is seen as just another co-conspirator.
But the rampant indignation is also about the humiliation contaminated clergymen have heaped upon wincing Catholics in the pews. It’s about a seeming lack of sympathy for the devastated victims of obscene, lustful priests. It’s about the fact that too often the victims have been treated like hostiles attacking the righteous church.
And when all is said and done, the poor cardinal’s humiliation can’t begin to match that of the predator priests’ victims.
----Gus Gribbin
No comments:
Post a Comment