... /sigh/
Re "Cardinal goal was protecting Mahony," column, July 17It is a mistake to think that Cardinal Roger M. Mahony is trying to protect himself. He is trying to protect his flock. If you are a Roman Catholic, you believe that the church is essential for salvation. Over the years, it has been clear to the Roman Catholic hierarchy that anything that undermines the confidence of the faithful in the church risks driving people away, thereby dooming them to hell. Therefore, the best thing to do about the misdeeds of priests is to cover them up. As the reasoning goes, the harm done to boys through molestation is far less than that through eternal damnation.
This runs entirely counter to the views of our modern secular society. Protestants don't have this problem because they do not believe that the church is essential for salvation. Roman Catholics are going to have to find a way out.
RORY JOHNSTON
Hollywood
But my question is - Why has Cardinal Mahoney not been indicted as an accessory before and after the fact?
That does not appear to be the case in Los Angeles, unless there's a lot more they're not telling us about Mahony.
The Vatican is in complete control. From today's "Los Angeles Times"...
The Vatican requires such permission for any transfer of goods -- real estate, cash, investments or loans -- worth more than $10 million, said Mahony's spokesman, Tod M. Tamberg...""In late May, as settlement talks between the archdiocese and plaintiffs' attorneys accelerated, Mahony traveled to Rome to consult with Vatican officials on financial aspects of the settlement and to receive required approvals for the loans and property sales under consideration, officials said.
My View is that, should the “Vatican” do nothing they would leave Mahoney in place, a manager, who couldn’t or wouldn’t see the sinful and Evil damage being done to the most vulnerable in his care.
They would be leaving in place a manager responsible for the Biggest Scandal in the Catholic Church, who by his inept approach is responsible for the loss of thousands of children and many more thousands of souls leaving the Catholic Church.
The Pope (JPII) got rid of cdl. Law by promoting him to a plush job, and at the same time leaving Law as a Neon Light advertising how Little the Vatican really cares for the Children or the souls of the Faithful leaving the Catholic Church in droves.
However the Vatican would never miss the opportunity to Pounce of some the poor divorced Catholics who had to get out of a bad marriage, to possibly save their lives.
Their Christian treatment was to deny them the Sacraments.