A cover story on Cardinal Mahony and the settlement
The October 2007 issue of the Catholic World Report carries a cover story by its editor, George Neumayr, "The Wages of Sin: Cardinal Mahony and L.A.'s Record Abuse Settlement."
The story basically relies on news reports from the last several months, but it also quotes two unnamed L.A. priests.
According to the article, one priest says, "Everyone feels that he [Cardinal Mahony] gave away the store" [to avoid testifying] and "virtually all" of his parishioners think the Cardinal should resign: "They don't understand why somebody who has behaved so incompetently could keep his job. No CEO would be able to keep his job after losing a quarter of a billion."
Also according to the article, the other priest, quoted in the L.A. Times, says, "How can he [Cardinal Mahony] possibly talk about justice when he pays huge settlements to cover up for himself?"
Let's pray for our Archdiocese, everyone from the Cardinal on down.
The story basically relies on news reports from the last several months, but it also quotes two unnamed L.A. priests.
According to the article, one priest says, "Everyone feels that he [Cardinal Mahony] gave away the store" [to avoid testifying] and "virtually all" of his parishioners think the Cardinal should resign: "They don't understand why somebody who has behaved so incompetently could keep his job. No CEO would be able to keep his job after losing a quarter of a billion."
Also according to the article, the other priest, quoted in the L.A. Times, says, "How can he [Cardinal Mahony] possibly talk about justice when he pays huge settlements to cover up for himself?"
Let's pray for our Archdiocese, everyone from the Cardinal on down.
posted by Quintero at 2:36 PM
10 Comments:
Well, he has t cover it up
"...No CEO would be able to keep his job after losing a quarter of a billion."
Thing is, a bishop is not the equivalent of a CEO. He is a successor to the Apostles and the shepherd of his flock, which owes him obedience; he is not a mere paid agent of a huge organization. The CEO line of thinking is not a Catholic line of thinking.
That said, there is precedent for removal of bad bishops (cf. Rembert Weakland), and you have to wonder why Rome doesn't act in this case. Still, a bad cardinal archbishop must ultimately appear before a much higher tribunal than Rome, before which even the angels tremble:
As I live, says the Lord GOD, because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd; and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
Ezekiel 34:7-10
Dear Anita,
Yes, I know, and the priest who made the quote surely knew also.
Bishops are not CEOs, nor should anyone ever consider them that.
Yet the successors of the Apostles must be good, prudent stewards of the funds and other resources that their flock entrusts to them.
The Apostles' successors must also guard their own and the Church's moral authority.
Ezekiel 34 is a warning to bishops and pastors indeed, and I would say its warning applies also to every Christian who is responsible to others, which is all of us.
I have it on good authority that Ladbrookes had the odds of Mahony going to Hell a 2-5.
That's not 5-2. That's 2-5. That's practically a sure thing.
BTW, the comparison with a CEO is apt because the archdiocese is a corporation, financially speaking, and Mahony is at least the titular head of that corporation.
I hope everyone noticed that San Diego's Bishop Brom, after playing legal hide the ball for over two years, also ended up settling for millions of dollars to keep himself off the witness stand (and probably out of prison).
Anita,
Joseph makes a good point about Mahoney being like a CEO as he is, as bishop, legally a "corporation sole." As for him being a successor to the apostles, true, but he is a leader among the one-twelfth that are successors to Judas Iscariot.
As for him being a successor to the apostles, true, but he is a leader among the one-twelfth that are successors to Judas Iscariot.
Former altar boy, I couldn't have said it better myself!
Joseph makes a good point about Mahoney being like a CEO as he is, as bishop, legally a "corporation sole."
F.A.B., I realize that. However, I stand by my point that the analogy is not an entirely happy one, for the reasons stated.
As for him being a successor to the apostles, true, but he is a leader among the one-twelfth that are successors to Judas Iscariot.
And you will certainly not find me making any brief for him! I happen to be a native of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, I have seen first-hand the Cardinal's kookburgery in action, and I have dreaded lest he make it onto the Throne of St. Peter (though I hope the Holy Father's motu proprio on papal elections will forestall such an eventuality).
By the way, Q., as a native of Los Angeles (specifically, the Valley), I have found your blog to be a fascinating source of information about goings-on there (as well as unfortunate news about at least one priest I personally was acquainted with years ago who has since been yanked from ministry). Please keep up the good work.
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Dear Anita Moore,
Thank you for your kind words.
We can all pray for the priest you used to know who was "yanked," and we can all pray for you and for everyone else who knew him at the places he was assigned.
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