A house of prayer for all peoples, except ...

L.A.'s new "Catholic" mayor, by his own admission, doesn't go to Mass that often. During the recent mayoral campaign, though, Antonio Villaraigosa made himself very visible at two well attended Masses at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral. One was a funeral Mass for the leftist Chicano labor leader, Miguel Contreras, and the other was a memorial Mass for the late Pope John Paul II. There were reports that the then candidate Villaraigosa received Holy Communion at both Masses, one of which was celebrated by His Eminence.

During his failed 2001 mayoral campaign, Villaraigosa granted an interview to the Los Angeles Times and the subject of religion came up. "I'm strongly, strongly pro-choice," said Villaraigosa and then added that he did not subscribe to "some of the church's teachings on sexuality with respect to gays and lesbians." He explained that "religion is more about my spirituality and faith than adherence to rigid theological concepts." [source]

As politicians go, they do not come much more leftist and irreligious than Antonio Villaraigosa. But that evidently is not even an issue with Cardinal Mahony. According to THE TIDINGS,

"An Interfaith Prayer Service is currently being planned to be held at the Cathedral prior to the upcoming inauguration of our new mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa."

In the same article which boasts about how the Cathedral has opened its creepy ("great bronze") doors to various and sundry non-Catholic religious and non-religious groups, THE TIDINGS points out that ...

"The cornerstone of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral boldly proclaims, in the words of the Prophet Isaiah, 'My House Shall Be a House of Prayer for All Peoples."

I seriously doubt that this is what the Holy Spirit had in mind when He inspired Isaiah to convey those words. The larger context of that verse suggests a different message altogether:

Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. Happy is the man who does this, the son of man who holds to it; who keeps the sabbath free from profanation, and his hand from any evildoing ... Them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:1-2;7).

I, therefore, propose that someone modify the Isaian inscription on the cornerstone of Mahony's dreadful looking edifice to say the following:

"This house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples (except those who were not lucky enough to have escaped the abortionist's scalpel and vacuum hose)."

Villaraigosa with pro-abort former mayor and Mahony crony, Richard Riordan, who endorsed Villaraigosa's bid for mayor.