She says Cardinal Mahony said, "The Catholic Church is not the only church"

LA Catholic ^ | July 30, 2007

[NYer]

Today's (July 30) Los Angeles Times carries an article (click on this post's title) about Cardinal Roger Mahony's meetings with clergy sex abuse victims.

Here is an excerpt:

"Two sisters, Elizabeth, 56, and Mary, 51, arrived full of anger for their February meeting. But they said they felt a real connection with Mahony as he looked through old photographs that showed them, as children, with their abuser, Brother Joe Stadtfeld. In one, the monk was holding Elizabeth, then in grade school, on his lap, giving her a kiss.

"They also shared with the cardinal several letters from Stadtfeld, who died in 1995, asking for their forgiveness. 'No longer did it feel like we were alleged victims,' Elizabeth said of the meeting. 'We felt that [Mahony] believed, that he believed that this happened.'

"Mary also told Mahony that she hoped to return to some form of spirituality but that because of the abuse, she could no longer believe in the Catholic [C]hurch.

"The response from the leader of L.A.'s Catholics surprised her. 'He said to me, "The Catholic [C]hurch is not the only church,"' Mary said."

If this sad lady's recollection of their conversation in February is accurate, don't you think our Prince of the Church could have said something better to her, something that would help her return to the Sacraments and to real spiritual help and solace?

Perhaps the Cardinal or his spokesman Tod Tamberg could respond publicly to the L.A. Times article in order to clear things up about what His Eminence said, or meant.

[NYer]

Words once spoken never can be taken back. Oh how sad, if this is true.

[NYer]

Words once spoken never can be taken back. Oh how sad, if this is true.

[Ken522]

So the good Cardinal Mahoney is saying there is salvation ouside the Catholic Church?? It's a good thing he isn't teaching catechism.

[raptor29]

Mahony has been a POS in that position for years. Those of us in Southern California have had to listen to and watch his bs for years. Hope they run him out, except that ‘who is the THEY who would do it?’.

[Antoninus]

"The response from the leader of L.A.'s Catholics surprised her. 'He said to me, "The Catholic [C]hurch is not the only church,"' Mary said."

And here we thought Cardinal Mahoney was Catholic. LOL.

May God have mercy on him.

I remember an article in the Wanderer where the reporter showed up at a service of some sort to confront a particular bishop on (I believe) the issue of him forcing an explicit sex-ed program on the children in his diocese. At one point, the reporter was so flabbergasted with the bishop's lack of response, that he said, "Your excellency, are you even Catholic?"

I've felt like asking that question to several different bishops many, many times.

[RobbyS]

Mahoney evidentally cut a deal to save himself from responsibility for his actions: blocking normal men from the seminaries, protecting homosexual perverts and trying to cover his tracks.

[Lee N. Field]

'He said to me, "The Catholic [C]hurch is not the only church,"'

That's not what his boss said a couple weeks ago.

[bboop]

Oh that the Pope would hear this.

[bboop]

The ‘THEY’ could be the Pope. He must be watching Mahoney. And on Raymond Arroyo last night they said they might refer the matter to a Grand Jury for a criminal investigation. In which case ... (oh PLEASE) bye bye Cardie.

[bboop]

The ‘THEY’ could be the Pope. He must be watching Mahoney. And on Raymond Arroyo last night they said they might refer the matter to a Grand Jury for a criminal investigation. In which case ... (oh PLEASE) bye bye Cardie.

[ducdriver]

Let us judge the Church by her saints, not by her sinners.

Perhaps that did not occur to H.E.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Oh, it’s true. He’s a wolf in shepherds clothing, that one is. Nope, if she says he said it, I believe her.

There have been so many times that I have wanted to write to his superiors, but chickened out.

[353FMG]

“The Catholic [C]hurch is not the only church..”

I guess that Christ spoke out of both sides of His Mouth according to Cardinal Mahony, and thereby established several churches. If Mahony thinks that the Catholic Church is not the only church he is obliged to look for the truth elsewhere. He should know that there is only one Truth and that there are no half-truths.

Every religion should declare that their teaching is the only one that does not err. How can anyone belong to a church and carry a doubt about its authenticity.

Even the Muslims are convinced that they possess the truth. Where they do go wrong is that they want to ram Islam down every non-Muslim’s throat.

One should live with the conviction that his or her religion is the only true one without forcing others to accept it.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

It’s true. I was told of this statement a week ago by a traditional priest here in CA.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks for that info, I figured as much :(

[Nihil Obstat]

Saint John Vianney pray for the conversion of Cardinal Mahony

[Tax-chick]

pray for the conversion of Cardinal Mahony

To Buddhism, if that's what's necessary to get him out of his current position. Oh, the damage he can do in 3.6 more years, or whatever it is until his retirement!

[cothrige]

"The Catholic [C]hurch is not the only church"

If this is true, then is not the speaker a heretic? And if this man is a heretic, then did he also not cease to be a bishop? Are the faithful bound to obey, support and follow a "bishop" who is a public heretic? I wouldn't have thought so.

[Salvation]

**She says Cardinal Mahony said, “The Catholic Church is not the only church” **

Huh?

What is going on here?