Are anti-Mahony forces gaining momentum?
THIS LOCAL TV NEWS REPORT (KTLA) suggests that the public outcry against Cardinal Mahony is gaining steam. At this point, however, I am not convinced that what happened in Boston will happen in L.A. There are several reasons for this.
- Up until recently, the L.A. Times has not given front-page attention to this story. This is quite different from Boston in that the Globe (which is probably even more hateful toward the Church than the Times) was relentless in its daily, front-page coverage of the Boston clergy scandals.
- Many Boston clergy openly criticized Boston's Cardinal Law. L.A. priests have scarcely made a whimper, although everyone knows there is widespread dissastifaction with Mahony among local priests. Thus far, L.A.'s archbishop has managed to keep his priests in tow because he cultivates a climate of fear among the clergy and has been known to mercilessly crush those who dare to cross him.
- Cardinal Mahony, unlike Law, is the consummate politician who always manages to outsmart his opponents. He is always 10 steps ahead of his foes.
posted by Quintero at 11:57 AM
4 Comments:
Quintero, sadly, you're probably right about Mahony escaping Law's fate, except that RMM might be given a Major Basilica when he retires. Wouldn't it be great, though, to see this on the front page of the LA Times?
Feds to Mahony: http://bad.eserver.org/issues/2004/71/gotojail.gif
Q and B, don't give up hope.
It depends on public opinion. That, in turn, is dependent upon the weigh of the evidence that implicates the Cardinal. Even if the statute of limitations has expired and no criminal indictment is in the works, he could still go. The precedent from Boston has already been set.
Who decides, you ask?
A couple of red hats in the Vatican are watching it all unfold. When or if this story hits critical mass, when the country’s newspapers become fixated on Mahony’s impropriates, when his obstructionism becomes more obstinate and more incriminating, when the incredible details of how these perps were transferred from diocese to diocese, city to city, by the direct order of the Cardinal, when these things start to happen and more and more people become outraged at his behavior, Mahony will get a visit.
One evening, in the not too distant future, two unnamed Cardinals from Italy visit and the elder begins to speak to Cardinal Mahony.
Roger, why must you drag the Church though this mess? Haven’t the credibility and moral authority of the Church suffered enough over these past 4 years?
The details will be worked out, but we, representing HH, are prepared to offer you a position in Rome as Archpriest of a significant Cathedral just like we did for Cardinal Law. He’s a happy man because he may the right decision and did what HH wanted him to do. Why not do the same thing and leave this mess behind? You will have a driver, a cook a small staff, a handsome pension and a comfortable life in Rome.
That’s the offer, Roger. You have 48 hours to make your choice. Either do what HH would like you to do and come to Rome or stay here and fight your messy fight with the civil authorities. If you choose to stay, you are on your own. You will receive no back up or encouragement from the Church nor from HH nor will there ever be another offer.
Buona notte, Roger
Maybe I've seen the "Godfather" too many times, but the above scenario sounds pretty good to me.
Offer him Iran,
That is where Freemasons used to be banished.
JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO SAYS...
I was hoping that the two emisaries from "HH" would give him concrete speedos so he could go swimming in Santa Monica Bay... ;)
Then again, if that ever happened, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club would stage massive protests about the oil slick that suddenly appeared... :D
Iran is what Ma-joto deserves... :P
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