Damning documentary targets Cardinal Mahoney

Vivificat! News, Opinions, Commentary, Reflections, from a personal Catholic perspective ^ | 17 October 2006 | Teófilo

[Teófilo]

Amy Berg's "Deliver us from Evil" indicts the Archbishop of Los Angeles for not reigning in and protecting a serial pedophile.

Folks, Fr. Oliver O'Grady was a California priest who raped dozens of children from the 1970s until his arrest in 1993 -- and who now lives in Ireland, a free man. Allegations against him include the rape of a 9 month old baby. Amy Berg's documentary, entitled Deliver Us from Evil shows that O'Grady was consistently protected by the diocese hierarchy, which moved him from one mid-state parish to another whenever complaints arose. In California, well over 400 Catholic priests have been accused of sexual abuse and many of these happened under the watch of Roger Cardinal O'Malley, the current Arcbishop of Los Angeles, as he ascended through various leadership positions in the Church with oversight over troubled--or troublemaking--priests.

I haven't seen the film, but if the reviews hold up, Cardinal Roger Mahoney might even be indicted by California authorities for criminal negligence, conspiracy, and whatever other charge that can be made to stick as a consequence of this documentary. If this were to happen, to say that this will be a time of reckoning for a Prince of the Church would be an understatement. I humbly ask the Cardinal if this is the only way that justice will be met and the victims healed.

The sex-abuse scandal is not over yet. The cost to the Church in terms of souls has been infinite; materially it approaches 1.5 billion dollars--how many schools, hospitals, missioners, grants, books, this could have bought? How many generations have been lost to the Church as a consequence? How about the souls that the predators-cum-priests have killed? How does one beging to even measure that?

Let us pray for the victims, that they may be healed and find a modicum of faith, if not in the Church, at least somewhere else where Jesus can touch them and they be healed.

Let us pray for the Church in California and indeed, in the entire country, that it can be purified, healed, and restored as the Bride of Christ.

Let us pray for our Bishops, that the Holy Spirit guides them to clean this mess.

Let us pray for everyone in Holy Orders and in religious life, that the Lord may deliver from all temptations of body, mind, and soul and that He maintains them on the path of evangelical perfection.

- Thank you Mark Shea's Catholic and Enjoying It! for the heads-up

- Read a review of Deliver Us from Evil at Time.com.

- Read another review at the Boston Globe.

[Teófilo]

Typos. Blunders. Mine.

[Teófilo]

PING!

[wideawake]

The important facts that this documentary demonstrates for the record:

(1) That Cardinal Mahony testified under oath in a court of law that he barely knew Oliver Grady - a troglodyte who molested a 9-month old child.

(2) The film shows correspondence between Grady and Mahony showing that they were on friendly terms and knew each other quite well. It is friendly correspondence, not official correspondence or form letters.

Any prosecutor with a little guts could indict and convict Mahony on perjury charges.

[trisham]

bump

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Mahony needs to be dealt with. that the church has not done so YET is very detrimental to the church's healing and future.

[pandoraou812]

Oliver O'Grady should be brought back here to face charges and be jailed. Cardinal Roger Mahoney also should face charges. For too long has the church protected these perverts. Had they done the right thing in the first place there wouldn't be so many molested children. Anyone who helped a molester move from parish to parish knowing full well they were a sexual deviant ought to face charges too.

[Ebenezer]

I don't know the details of why O'Grady is now living in Ireland. Did he flee there after his arrest? If so, can't he be extradited?

Mahoney is an embarrassment to the Church. When Jesus Christ admonished His disciples to "let the children come to Me", it was not so priests may prey upon them and brutalize them. Shame on those Church leaders whose reputations and power came first before protecting the smallest of the flock!

[siunevada]

The Cafeteria Is Closed visited the L.A. Cathedral and took this photo on the sidewalk out front:

[Tax-chick]

"reining"

No you're homophones - it's what separates us from the savages.

[pandoraou812]

I really don't know if Ireland will extradite him. I've heard Ireland is a good place to go if you don't want to be extradited. Here is a link to check it out.
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/justice/pre_trial_issues/extradition_to_and_from_Ireland.html
Personally I think he ought to be sent back here . Why Ireland would want a sexual deviate in their country is beyond me. I hope there is a special hell for priests who molest children.

[NYer]

In California, well over 400 Catholic priests have been accused of sexual abuse and many of these happened under the watch of Roger Cardinal O'Malley, the current Arcbishop of Los Angeles, as he ascended through various leadership positions in the Church with oversight over troubled--or troublemaking--priests.

Archbishop Jean Jadot, Pope Paul VI's apostolic delegate to the United States from 1973-1980, has no regrets about the spate of bad bishops he infficted on the Catholics of this country. And, if veteran Vatican reporter Robert Blair Kaiser, who recently interviewed Jadot at his home in Belgium, can be believed, Jadot is still proud of some of his most notorious picks, such as Bishop Walter Sullivan of Richmond, Va., Archbishop Rembert Weakiand of Milwaukee, and Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles ...

Still Proud Of Bishops He Gave U.S.

How many sheep have been lost under these shepherds!

[BlessedBeGod]

I wonder if the statute of limitations has run out?

[pandoraou812]

Cardinal Mahony headed the Stockton Diocese from 1980-85. He was named to head the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in July 1985, and "it was not until 1993 that accusations were made leading to O'Grady's arrest and eventual sentencing to prison," Tamberg said.

O'Grady admitted in a 1993 criminal trial that he molested boys. He spent six years in prison following a 1994 conviction for child molestation.

O'Grady did go to jail it seems. Heres the link, it was an interesting read.
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=21638

[right-wingin_It]

If this is the one that I saw a review for a week ago, The filmakers seek to implicate the Pope, which is ridculous. Bogus claims.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of Mahoney of course, but I can't trust this film, which seeks to take down the whole church.

[Antoninus]

The Don of the Lavender Mafia.

[netmilsmom]

BTW, that picture still freaks me out.

Heil.

[netmilsmom]

I'm not sure this seeks to bring down the whole church.
I know that there are many JPII fanatics out there, but really, was he without sin in this?

I just can't believe that Our Holy Father, who was so intelligent and spiritual, knew nothing of all this.

His sin, if any, was believing that all men are good. But he still did nothing. He should have been cleaning his own house first before jetting around the world.

[Teófilo]

Thank you for the correction. Like I always say: "typos, blunders, mine." I try to catch them and fix them in the blog.

Why are you calling me a "homophone"? I resemble that remark!

:-D

-Theo

[Teófilo]

If this is the one that I saw a review for a week ago, The filmakers seek to implicate the Pope, which is ridculous. Bogus claims.

You're reffering to the BBC "documentary." Different animals although their near-simultaneous releases are, IMHO, far from coincidental.

-Theo

[NYer]

Me too!

Now .... how does this image strike you? Can you guess where it comes from?