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Cardinal Roger Mahony sinks to new low: admits in print he does not know the difference between right and wrong when it comes to child abuse because he never learned how to handle the problem in graduate school!

How disingenuous it this admission?

Friday, Cardinal Roger Mahony sunk to a new low … proclaiming in his blog that “Nothing in my own background or education equipped me to deal with this grave problem. In two years [1962—1964] spent in graduate school earning a Master’s Degree in Social Work, no textbook and no lecture ever referred to the sexual abuse of children. While there was some information dealing with child neglect, sexual abuse was never discussed.

Take any man or woman off the streets of Los Angeles and tell them about sexual child abuse – and they know to call the appropriate authorities. Unlike Cardinal Roger Mahoney who hired even more lawyers and spin doctors to keep this information about criminal activities from the police. Almost as if homosexuality and child molestation was accepted, condoned and sanctioned by some high church leaders.

Here is what Mahony had to say to his flock …

Friday, February 1, 2013

HISTORICAL EVOLUTION of DEALING with the SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINORS

Friends in Christ,
 
This morning I sent this letter to Archbishop Jose H. Gomez giving the history and context of what we have been through since the mid-1980s.  There is nothing confidential in my letter.   I have been encouraged by others to publish it, so I am do so on my personal Blog.  I hope you find it useful.

+ + + + +

February 1, 2013

Dear Archbishop Gomez:

In this letter I wish to outline briefly how the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and I responded to the evolving scandal of clergy sexual misconduct, especially involving minors.

Nothing in my own background or education equipped me to deal with this grave problem. In two years [1962—1964] spent in graduate school earning a Master’s Degree in Social Work, no textbook and no lecture ever referred to the sexual abuse of children. While there was some information dealing with child neglect, sexual abuse was never discussed.

Shortly after I was installed on September 5, 1985 I took steps to create an Office of the Vicar for the Clergy so that all our efforts in helping our priests could be located in one place. In the summer of 1986 I invited an attorney-friend from Stockton to address our priests during our annual retreat at St. John’s Seminary on the topic of the sexual abuse of minors. Towards the end of 1986 work began with the Council of Priests to develop policies and procedures to guide all of us in dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct. Those underwent much review across the Archdiocese, and were adopted in 1989.

It appears that none of those policies included allowing the duly constituted legal authorities to investigate serious allegations of child abuse or the church’s officials from moving suspect priests to other areas before they could be prosecuted.

During these intervening years a small number of cases did arise. I sought advice from several other Bishops across the country, including Cardinal John O’Connor of New York, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago, and then Bishop Adam Maida of Green Bay. I consulted with our Episcopal Conference frequently. All the advice was to remove priests from active ministry if there was reasonable suspicion that abuse had occurred, and then refer them to one of the several residential treatment centers across the country for evaluation and recommendation.

But no one apparently suggested that any church official do their civic duty – or their duty unto Christ (“Blessed be the Children”) and turn these suspected priests over to the legal authorities.

This procedure was standard across the country for all Arch/Dioceses, for School Districts, for other Churches, and for all Youth Organizations that dealt with minors. We were never told that, in fact, following these procedures was not effective, and that perpetrators were incapable of being treated in such a way that they could safely pursue priestly ministry.

This was nothing more than the church protecting their money-spinning franchise and maintaining their moral authority over their flock. Even when the leadership was so morally bankrupt and corrupt as to obstruct justice and engage in complicit criminal activity – aiding and abetting felony child abuse and sexual molestation. Has the Cardinal consulted medical professionals – instead of others who may have also been complicit in criminal activities – he may have learned that pedophilia cannot be cured, let alone by praying, chanting or any other mumbo jumbo. It can be controlled, but not cured.

During the 1990s our own policies and procedures evolved and became more stringent. We had learned from the mistakes of the 1980s and the new procedures reflected this change. In 1994 we became one of the first Archdioceses in the world to institute a Sexual Abuse Advisory Board [SAAB] which gave helpful insights and recommendations to the Vicar for the Clergy on how to deal with these cases. Through the help of this Board, we moved towards a “zero tolerance”policy for clergy who had allegations against them which had proven true.

It appeared that there was “zero tolerance” for those priests already outed and/or being prosecuted. But the large expenditures on legal efforts to hide records from the authorities continued. These people knew what was in the records and they are criminal co-conspirators.

In 2002 we greatly expanded the SAAB group into the new Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board. They were instrumental in implementing the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth and served as an invaluable body for me and our Archdiocese. They dealt with every case with great care, justice, and concern for our youth.

“They dealt with every case with great care, justice and concern for our youth” now appears to be a lie – there was no justice while pedophile priests were shielded from the legal system and the church attempted to buy-off or bully people coming forward with allegations. The watchword was: protect the church at any cost. To this day, the church is not forthcoming and remains unwilling to release anything other than their older records – many of which indicate criminal activity that can no longer be prosecuted under the statute of limitations.

From 2003 to 2012 the Archdiocese underwent several Compliance Audits by professional firms retained for this purpose. Most Auditors were retired FBI agents, and extremely competent. Every single Audit concluded that the Archdiocese was in full compliance with the Charter.

One might ask if these “auditors” were Catholics pledged to uphold the church at any cost, or lawyers bound by attorney-client privilege. If not, were they allowed to see all of the records or was their investigation stage-managed by church officials. And a serious question remains, if these law enforcement officers encountered wrongdoing, did they report it to the civilian legal authorities?

When you were formally received as our Archbishop on May 26, 2010, you began to become aware of all that had been done here over the years for the protection of children and youth. You became our official Archbishop on March 1, 2011 and you were personally involved with the Compliance Audit of 2012—again, in which we were deemed to be in full compliance.

Not once over these past years did you ever raise any questions about our policies, practices, or procedures in dealing with the problem of clergy sexual misconduct involving minors.

Nice! The Cardinal drops the ball at the feet of the current Archbishop and points out that his was a complicity of silence.

I have stated time and time again that I made mistakes, especially in the mid-1980s. I apologized for those mistakes, and committed myself to make certain that the Archdiocese was safe for everyone.

Unfortunately, I cannot return now to the 1980s and reverse actions and decisions made then. But when I retired as the active Archbishop, I handed over to you an Archdiocese that was second to none in protecting children and youth.

With every best wish, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,

His Eminence

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony
Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles

Source: Cardinal Roger Mahony Blogs L.A.: The official blog of the Archbishop Emeritus of L.A.

“[S]econd to none in protecting children and youth” is a joke when you consider the actions of other Church officials in other regions. Some of whom deserve to keep Mahony company in jail – or hell – as it may be.

Bottom line …

Mahony cannot absolve himself of his criminal activity, either aiding and abetting those that molested children or in the church conspiracy and cover-up which amounts to criminal obstruction of Justice by apologizing. He must be defrocked and banished – perhaps to Rome – from California where he and his ilk wreaked havoc on the children of California. This is also an indictment of all the political weenies and law enforcement officials who refused to indict or arrest Mahony on what appears to be a credible charge of obstructing justice or aiding and abetting criminal child abuse.

Or, at least, he should give up his position as Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles … Bernard Francis Law, Cardinal and Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts resigned after Church documents were revealed which suggested he had covered up sexual abuse committed by priests in his archdiocese.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

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