Cardinal "Spin"

As reported in the L.A. Times:

"He's someone that you could walk into a Starbucks [with] and sit down and have a coffee with and be totally at ease," Mahony said. "He's just delightful."

Red dioceses and Blue dioceses

Not unlike the recent general election, Catholics are divided over the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as the 265th Roman Pontiff. The "red" dioceses are ecstatic; the "blue" dioceses are as blue (i.e., depressed) as they can be. Fortunately, in spite of decades of goofy catechesis and vapid preaching, the rank and file of the Church in America (and even in L.A.!) remains very much in the "red" camp.

It is no secret that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is clearly in the "blue" column as are other ecclesiastical jurisdictions in California such as Orange, San Bernadino and San Jose.

April 19, 2005, was not a happy day for the likes of Cardinal Mahony and the apparatchiks of "blue" dioceses everywhere. In contrast, for those who have been suffering under the "dicatatorship of relativsim" for all these decades, the ascendancy of a Ratzinger papacy is truly a "benediction" and a time for rejoicing.

Mahony released from hospital

Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, hospitalized in Rome for four days to treat a ruptured blood vessel in his leg, has been released and is expected to participate in the conclave to select a new pope ... see the A.P. report here.

Will he vote for Ratzinger? Yeah, right.

Pope John Paul II: Eucharistic Soul

"Those who were able to share the daily activity of the pope were witnesses to his profound love for the Eucharist," [Archbishop Sandri] said. "Before making important decisions, he usually would spend long periods of time before the Blessed Sacrament in his private chapel, bringing with him the dossiers to examine."

See full CNS story here.

Cathedral to remain open all night April 17

The Tidings reports ...

For the first time in its 31-month history, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels will remain open all night April 17 prior to the start of the April 18 conclave in Rome that will elect a new pope.

An all-night vigil will begin following a 7 p.m. prayer service April 17, with solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on the main altar and the rosary led each hour through the night until 7 a.m. Mass on April 18. All are welcome to come to the Cathedral "to join the college of cardinals in prayer," said Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik, pastor.

"All of us in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles have a special responsibility to pray intensely in assisting the college of cardinals in the selection and election of a new pope," said Msgr. Kostelnik, who noted that Los Angeles is one of a relative few dioceses in the world with a cardinal participating in the conclave.

The Cathedral celebrated daily Masses and prayer services during the nine-day period following the death of Pope John Paul II. Between April 2 and April 10, "we gave away 50,000 holy cards to people who attended liturgies here," said Msgr. Kostelnik. "One person told me, 'This was as close to Rome as I could get."

The greatest decision of my entire life

Mahony gets serious about the conclave:

"... for me, your Archbishop, the single greatest decision of my entire life will come when I am called upon to write on the ballot the name of the one whom I believe deep in my heart and soul should serve as our next Chief Shepherd. I approach this decision with personal unworthiness and trepidation, and with extraordinary reliance upon the promptings of the Holy Spirit. One can read the biographies of all the Cardinals, we can engage in conversations and discussions with them and about them, but then that quiet and secret moment must come when I have to write a name on the ballot.

I will then walk forward to the altar and proclaim aloud: "I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected." We will repeat this process over several days until someone has received the 77 votes needed to be elected our next Pope.

To sustain me in that decision and that vote, I truly need your deep and persistent prayers --- but most especially on Good Shepherd Sunday, and the days of the coming week. As your Archbishop, I am truly overwhelmed to represent you in this Papal Election. But as your unworthy servant, I am also keenly aware that I can do nothing without the presence and power of our Risen Lord and the prayerful support of you, our wonderful people of Los Angeles.
In a profound and spiritual sense, all of you enter this Conclave with me. May all of us fulfill our responsibility to Jesus Christ and His Church seriously, prayerful, and faithfully.

Click here for full article.

Mahony runs from the Law

Cardinal Mahony did not attend the Mass that Cardinal Law offered for Pope John Paul II at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where the latter serves as archpriest.

The Cardinal from Hollywood offered no comment regarding his absence.

Profile of LA's Prince

Cardinal Mahony's dossier at Cardinal Rating site. Click here.

Profiles of Princes

What does each of the cardinals believe? Find out here.

Pope Ratzinger?

"Ratzinger is looking strong but it's still far from clear who will emerge and how the voting will go," said the official who requested anonymity. The conclave begins next Monday and a two-thirds majority -- 77 out of 115 votes -- is needed to win.

See the full REUTERS report here.

Cardinal Hollywood goes to Rome

Free Republic posts comments here about Cardinal Mahony and his trip to Rome.

Even before the pope's body was cold

Writes George Neumayer:

"Before the Pope had even died, Mahony rushed over to Rome on a first-class flight (it came out), so eager was he to wedge his finger into the Conclave pie as quickly as possible. Once in Vatican City, he immediately turned up on numerous talk shows to mourn a pope he never paid the slightest attention to on doctrinal matters. (Pope John Paul II would from time to time look over at Mahony and say "Hollywood," not exactly a compliment, though Mahony tells the story as if it were.)"

Roger the Racketeer?

American Spectator's George Neumayr compares Cardinals Mahony and Law.

"What's the difference between the fate of Cardinal Law and Cardinal Mahony? The Boston Globe. Mahony has Los Angeles Times religion reporter Larry Stammer in his pocket, as was revealed in 2002 by a leaked e-mail from the Los Angeles chancery in which Mahony promised a colleague that "Larry Stammer" would whip up a positive story for them ("he stands ready to help if we have a story we want to get out," the e-mail said). Unlike Law who had serious reporters on his heels, Mahony has long benefited from the somnolent coverage of West Coast media liberals willing to excuse his protection of pedophiles in gratitude for his political and doctrinal liberalism.

"The Los Angeles Times can at once criticize the Pope as a centralizer, then complain he didn't centralize enough during the abuse scandal, then turn to a cardinal whose scandals were made possible by that decentralization to call through him for an even more "less centralized church."

For the full article, click here.