Pope Francis appointed disgraced Cardinal Roger Mahony to be his special envoy to the Catholic Diocese of Scranton’s 150th anniversary Mass. But after uproar, the diocese removed the announcement of Mahony’s visit from their website and told LifeSiteNews the cardinal informed them “late last week” that he’ll be unable to attend.
On January 13, the Diocese of Scranton issued a press release saying, “Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Roger Michael Mahony, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, as his special envoy at the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the erection of the Diocese of Scranton, to be observed with a Pontifical Mass on March 4 in the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Scranton.”
“We are most grateful to our Holy Father for appointing Cardinal Mahony to be his personal envoy for this special celebration, and we are honored that the Cardinal has so graciously accepted this invitation,” Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera said in this press release.
Local Catholics, part of a local Church Militant “Resistance” chapter, promised to protest the event.
The January 13 press release announcing Mahony’s visit has since been removed from the diocesan website. A cached view of it shows that on February 15, 2018, it was still available on the diocesan website. (Church Militant’s article on Catholics planning to protest Mahony was published on February 15.)
On Monday, Bill Genello, the diocese’s executive director of communications, said “Bishop Bambera was informed late last week that his Eminence, Roger Cardinal Mahony, is unable to attend the Mass commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Scranton Mass on March 4, 2018.”
Genello also sent a lengthy statement on the Diocese of Scranton’s anti-sex abuse policies.
Mahony, who as the archbishop of Los Angeles covered up priestly sex abuse while defending Communion for pro-abortion politicians and targeting EWTN’s orthodox Mother Angelica, was disciplined in 2013 by his successor Archbishop Jose Gomez. Gomez banned Mahony from “any administrative or public duties.”
Full story at LifeSiteNews.
[Editor’s note: On Feb. 18, Cardinal Mahony, without explanation, posted on his blog a 2013 statement from Archbishop José Gomez regarding his “priestly status” in the Los Angeles archdiocese.)
why not use perfectly good cardinals with no history of scandal, but only orthodoxy and solidity, such as cardinal burke? the diocese of scranton itself has a history of solid orthodoxy and requires someone who can mirror their faithfulness.
Thank God!
It is amazing the lack of judgment displayed by the Holy Father in giving Cardinal Mahoney a visibly public forum.
No one doubts the regret that Cardinal Mahoney has and that he is truly penitant for his complicity in the moral transgressions under his supervision. However, selecting him to represent the Vicar of Christ on Earth is akin to having Judas represent fidelity and devotion to Our Savior.
Saw him at a funeral last week and was disgusted at all the people buzzing around him afterward. Glad there are other folks who find his presence unacceptable, good work Church Militant Resistance!
Kristin, you were “disgusted”? Rather, just thank Almighty God that your moral failures never became as public as his. As I see it, his weak spot was hubris; it seems that it never occurred to him that his decisions might be flawed. Apparently, it still doesn’t. Reading your posts, i think you suffer from the same flaw, in spades.
Yes, disgusted that a man who has done so much damage to the Church is still held in such high regard. What you call hubris others would call criminal, there were victims you know. So, a royal flush to your notion of what I have “in spades”.
truth-seeker, Mahney’s so-called “moral failures” are not at all like an everyday Catholic layman– his are of the CRIMINAL type. Mahoney’s cover-ups of clergy sex-abuse cases, are a TERRIBLE crime! And he committed unthinkably horrendous evils to faithul, orthodox Mother Angelica, and her EWTN!
Truth seeker this man should be a source of pride and admiration , a model of piety and good character for anyone considering a religious vocation , as lay Catholics we should be able to feel the same . We in truth and charity cannot , whatever Kristin’s faults she was not in the position mahoney was , the cost to the faith here and worldwide is incalculable, the loss of the church’s moral authority is tied to people like this . The cost of innocence and damage to souls goes beyond hubris , this is evil , I often think that if you wanted to damage a organization in the worst possible way could you do any worse then what mahony did , by his continued public presence I believe demonstrates his hubris and obtuseness to the damage he has…
His presence is unacceptable at a funeral? Did the Resistance picket the funeral?
Yes and No.
People don’t really take Jesus seriously, do they?
Speaking from the Left Coast, the ‘est’ coast can have him!
archbishop gomez’ 2013 letter bars him from public ministry. it would seem to apply beyond los angeles. perhaps this limitation was not transmitted to the holy see;s dossier.
Cardinal Gomez only has juridical authority over the Los Angeles Archdiocese, i.e. ordained ministers and religious. Since Cardinal Mahony is no longer attached to the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Cardinal Gomez’s prohibition on public functions does not currently apply.
He is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is a Cardinal of the Catholic Church who resides in Los Angeles. In 2013 he was barred from “administrative and public functions” in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles due to a past failure to protect youth from predators. He is still a priest in good standing. He can say Mass. It was said that he would not be doing confirmations but…
https://cal-catholic.com/cardinal-mahony-still-confirming-los-angeles-youth/
No one said thst he lacks full faculties to dispense the Sacraments. The response I gave was that Cardinal Gomez no longer has authority over his actions.
As far as the “Emeritus” title goes, it is merely a title and does not carry with it any authority within the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Cardinal Mahony belongs on a desert island with no boat and only his rosary. The damage he has done to the Catholic Church is beyond measure and description.. May God have mercy on Him.
With regard to Ron’s comment. I doubt if even the East Coast wants Cardinal Mahony. He is a pathetic man who listened to the Evil One. And has unfortunately passed his thinking along to many of his fellow priests.
May God have mercy on him.
Congratulations, Church Militant Resistance! Way to defend the faith!!!
Noel
Good news! If you want to see and hear Cardinal Mahony, he will be giving a workshop at the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Religious Education Congress in Anaheim in a few weeks!
Cardinal Roger Mahony
Language: English Topic(s): Sacraments
Workshops: 1
5-17: Terrific Confirmation Tuesday, But What Do We Have for Them on Wednesday? Post-Sacrament Evangelization
I will pass, if I want to see a criminal I will head to the nearest prison, where Mahony should be,
Mahony brings shame to our religion. Pope Francisco should not have appointed this monster. Mahoney and his Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry arranged that pederast priests would only be treated by psychologists that were also lawyers so the Diocese was protected by attorney client privilege. Mahony’s Claim to fame was serving as the clerical wingman for Aliskyite César Chávez when the Communist agitator paralyzed the California grape harvest.
It is usually the wrongdoers who push for punishment of those who expose the errors, in order to deflect scrutiny from themselves.
Remember, Peter denied Our Lord three times within hours of Oue Lord’s institution of the Holy Eucharist and, next to Judas, showed that even the leader can become pressured into denying the truth. As it turned out and with the help of the Holy Spirit, Peter defended the one true Church and suffered a martyr”s death for that defense
Pray for the Holy Father to be converted in the same way as his predecessor, St. Peter.