Finanzkrise: US-Kardinal Mahony warnt vor Resignation
Nov 20, 2008
In den wirtschaftlich schwierigen Zeiten sollten die Familie und der Glaube Stützen sein, so Mahony in einem Hirtenbrief zum bevorstehenden Advent
Washington, 19.11.08 (KAP) Die Kirche in den USA ist wegen der steigenden Arbeitslosigkeit in Sorge. Seit Beginn der Finanzkrise ist die Nachfrage nach Hilfe stark gestiegen. Der Erzbischof von Los Angeles, Kardinal Roger Mahony, rief die Katholiken auf, nicht in Angst und Resignation zu verfallen.
In den wirtschaftlich schwierigen Zeiten sollten die Familie und der Glaube Stützen sein, so Mahony in einem Hirtenbrief zum bevorstehenden Advent und zum US-Fest "Thanksgiving" (4. Donnerstag im November; heuer 27. November). Die jetzige Krise eröffne Familien die Chance, zur wahren Bedeutung von Erntedank und Weihnachten zurückzukehren.
Die katholische Hilfsorganisation "Catholic Charities" verzeichnet angesichts der Finanzkrise eine Zunahme der Hilfeansuchen. Insbesondere im Bundesstaat Michigan, Heimat der drei krisengeschüttelten Automobilkonzerne General Motors, Ford und Chrysler, sei Jobverlust für Tausende Angestellte eine Realität, sagte Chris Root, Leiter der diözesanen Caritas-Büros, im Gespräch mit der US-amerikanischen katholischen Nachrichtenagentur CNS. Die Mitarbeiter der Organisation unterstützennach seinen Angaben Familien bei der Zahlung von Miete und Stromrechnungen, verteilen Nahrungsmittel und vermitteln Job- und Bewerbungstrainings.
Cardinal Mahony praises success of Prop. 8’s ‘unprecedented coalition’
Nov 12, 2008
Los Angeles, Nov 11, 2008 / 11:50 pm (CNA).- Archbishop of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony has issued a statement following the electoral victory of Proposition 8, a California ballot measure which restored the legal definition of marriage to be a union between a man and a woman. Its passage, he said, resulted from an “unprecedented coalition” of people who understood the importance of “the bedrock of marriage” as it has been lived out through recorded history.
“I am grateful to the Catholic Community of Los Angeles for your commitment to the institution of marriage as fashioned by God and to work with such energy to enshrine this divine plan into our State’s Constitution,” he wrote in a November 5 statement.
The cardinal then explained “God’s plan for the human family,” referring to the Book of Genesis’ account of God’s creation of man and woman.
Efforts in support of Proposition 8, Cardinal Mahony explained, centered solely on “preserving God’s plan that marriage between one man and one woman is to be that unchanging reality.” Their mutual love becomes fruitful through “bringing forth children to continue the human family,” and these children’s formation and maturation is “destined by God to take place within a traditional family of one father and one mother.”
“Proposition 8 is not against any group in our society,” the cardinal continued, acknowledging that the Church understands that there are people who live together in relationships other than traditional marriage.
“All of their spiritual, pastoral, and civil rights should be respected, together with their membership in the Church,” he said.
“This special effort across California has also been assisted by many who live outside our state because they recognized the importance of maintaining God’s plan for marriage as a bedrock institution for society,” Cardinal Mahony’s statement concluded.
“May the new definition of marriage in our state Constitution be enlivened by our continuing support for married couples and their families.”
Cardinal Mahony ad part of $1M campaign to sway Latinos for marriage-protection amendment
Oct 30, 2008
The Church in California is spending $1 million on Spanish-language radio and television ads designed to convince Latinos to vote in favor of Proposition 8, the state ballot initiative that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Cardinal Roger Mahony speaks on behalf of the amendment in one radio slot, according to a Sacramento Bee report
Church Must Unite in Bad Times, Says Cardinal
Jul 29, 2008
Notes That Body of Christ Cannot React as a Corporation.
LOS ANGELES, JULY 28, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Just as the faithful benefit from the good done by past generations of Catholics, they also must bear the effect of the sins of past generations, said the archbishop of Los Angeles.
In an article in this week's issue of the Tidings, the archdiocesan newspaper, Cardinal Roger Mahony reflected on his visits to parish councils and parish finance councils regarding the settlement of civil lawsuits from clergy sexual misconduct.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has made the largest settlement to date, agreeing last July to pay more than 500 alleged victims some $660 million. An earlier settlement was for another $60 million.
The cardinal said he visited the archdiocese's 20 deaneries to give an update on the settlements, an account of the debts and how they will be repaid, and to discuss how to emerge from "this tragic chapter in the life of our Church."
The lawsuits faced by the archdiocese spanned from the years 1931 to 2006.
"Many questioned why the parishes across the archdiocese in 2008 should have to bear responsibility for what happened many decades ago. After all, many of today's parishioners were not alive during those years or, those who were alive, have no responsibility for the actions of the clergy in bygone years," the cardinal acknowledged.
"It was suggested by some that the Church and our archdiocese needed to confront this problem and our current situation by turning to methods by which large businesses and corporations might deal with such issues," he continued. "However, in the fullest sense we are not just a civil or business corporation. We are members of the one Body of Christ, the Church. As such, we live by different values than a corporation."
Inheritance
Cardinal Mahony explained: "Through our baptism we are all members of the Church, the Body of Christ. Our prayers and good works contribute to build up the Body of Christ; and our sins and failures diminish the Body of Christ.
"Recall that the vast number of our churches, schools, and parish facilities were paid for and built by past generations of Catholics. […] You and I in the fullest sense 'inherit' their gifts and sacrifices by having use of these facilities without the need to build most of them. […] That's what it means to belong to the one Body of Christ -- the blessings of those who have gone before us are now ours.
"But then there is the other side of the coin: the faults, sins, and mistakes of past years are also part of our inheritance -- even though we were not the cause of those troubles."
The 72-year-old prelate noted that he has been "overwhelmed" by the response from the faithful.
"Many parishes were able to make special grants to help retire the debt, while others were able to extend long-term loans with little or no interest," he explained. "The members of some parishes even undertook small grassroots fundraising efforts open to all those in the parish who felt called to participate. Many of the priests of the archdiocese donated a month's salary to help. Unanticipated checks continue to arrive in the mail from individuals, not only in our archdiocese but elsewhere in California and beyond.
"All of these actions are more than mere gestures. They demonstrate a deep understanding that we truly are members together of the one Body of Christ. The Gospel accounts of the resurrected Christ make it clear that his glorified body still bears wounds. So, too, does his Body the Church.
Bearing these wounds -- even as we cry out to Christ the healer for the Spirit's healing balm -- is our gift and task as we move forward to life in abundance wherein Christ will be all in all, and every tear shall be wiped away."
Cardinal Mahony speaks with NCR
Dec 05, 2007
Los Angeles is the capital of the world's
entertainment industry, and since 1985 the Catholic church there has been led by a figure seemingly made for Tinseltown: Cardinal Roger Mahony, 71, perhaps the most media-savvy American bishop (among other things, Mahony is an Internet adept) and something of a cultural celebrity in his own right.
Cardinal Mahony speaks with NCR
All Things Catholic by John L. Allen, Jr.
Friday, November 30, 2007 - Vol. 7, No. 13
Los Angeles is the capital of the world's
entertainment industry, and since 1985 the Catholic
church there has been led by a figure seemingly made
for Tinseltown: Cardinal Roger Mahony, 71, perhaps the
most media-savvy American bishop (among other things,
Mahony is an Internet adept) and something of a
cultural celebrity in his own right. The latest
confirmation came earlier this month with the
publication of a novel, billed as "reality fiction,"
by American Catholic writer Robert Blair Kaiser titled
Cardinal Mahony. In the novel, the Los Angeles prelate
is kidnapped by a group of liberation theologians from
Latin America, put on trial in Mexico (after being
spirited away in his own helicopter), and converted to
the need for sweeping reform. The fictional Mahony
apparently ends up leading American Catholics in
demanding what the book's publisher describes as
"citizenship in their church."
I bumped into Mahony in the Vatican's Synod Hall on
Nov. 23, waiting for a meeting of the College of
Cardinals with the pope. He said he had read most of
the novel during his flight to Rome; asked for a
reaction, he simply laughed.
As is often the case with celebrities these days,
Mahony is also dogged by his share of controversy.
Recently, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles concluded
what will almost certainly be the largest single
settlement related to the American sexual abuse crisis
-- a $660 million payout, shared by the archdiocese,
most religious orders sued in California (with the
exception of the Salesians), and insurance carriers.
That amount reflects not only the size and wealth of
the archdiocese, but also a 2002 California law
temporarily suspending the statute of limitations on
civil lawsuits against private organizations whose
personnel abused children. The settlement closes some
500 claims at roughly $1 million each. The process of
collecting more than 700 signatures to finalize the
settlement was completed in mid-November.
On Monday, Nov. 26, Mahony sat down in Rome for an
interview with NCR to discuss the settlement, the
legacy of the sexual abuse crisis, Pope Benedict XVI's
trip to the United States in April 2008, and the
consistory itself. The full text of that interview is
available in the Special Documents section of
NCRonline.org. The following are excerpts. I also
filed daily reports during the consistory, which can
be found here: http://ncrcafe.org/blog/2682
NCR: You've just concluded a $660 million settlement
in Los Angeles designed to end your litigation related
to the sexual abuse crisis. Do you feel a sense of
relief?
Mahony: I don't look at it that way. Having met with
dozens and dozens of victims, over 70 so far, I
believe the closure of this is important for them. I
didn't realize how much more they'd been through, even
by filing lawsuits. They had to fill out claimant
questionnaires and say all kinds of things about their
personal lives. Their attorneys asked them to do
videos of their experience. They've had to bare their
souls, which for many of them reopened the past. Most
of them see the settlement as the last time they'll
have to go through all this.
Secondly, they see the settlement, as I do, as a
ratification that they were harmed. This is a public
acknowledgment that they were harmed. Even though the
language of the settlement may not use the terms
"fault" and "no fault," it is a ratification, an
acknowledgement by the church, that you were harmed.
While money doesn't resolve the past, it is an
acknowledgement, and I think that's very important for
them.
There are those who charge that you spent $660 million
to save yourself the personal embarrassment of sitting
in the witness box during a jury trial. How do you
respond to that?
First of all, I respond with a very big smile. Part of
our strategy, and our settlement judge knew this all
along, is that the only way to get insurance companies
to settle is if it would cost them more not to settle.
The only way that can happen is to get a verdict from
a jury. Therefore, we purposefully chose cases with
huge coverage amounts and went to the court, more than
a year ago, and got them set for trial. People say
we're afraid of a trial? We're the ones who got the
cases set for trial. We wanted them set for trial. It
was that date approaching that broke things loose.
In fact, the day we had the formal presentation of the
settlement in court -- Monday, July 16 -- was the date
the first trial was to start. A week before that, the
insurance guys wanted no part of this [settlement].
The judge met with them all and said, 'Well, if you
don't want to participate and you want to go to trial
next Monday, I would suggest you go home and get ready
for trial. There's no sense sitting around here.'
The judge dismissed them and left the courtroom. They
didn't leave. The bailiff came back later and told the
judge, 'You know those guys you sent home? They're all
still here.' He let them sit for an hour or two. In
the end, they blinked.
Secondly, with respect to me testifying, 95 percent of
the cases occurred before I came, and I would have
very little to say. In fact, the first case concerned
a fellow who was ill when I arrived and died within my
first year. I wouldn't be able to tell them anything
about it. Actually, I was looking forward to it,
because I was going to use the opportunity to explain
what we've done to make sure this doesn't happen
again. I had no problem with testifying.
As matter of church law, alienation of property
requires approval of the Holy See. Specifically, it
goes to the Congregation for Clergy, and, for
settlements related to sexual abuse, also Secretariat
of State. What has your experience been in dealing
with the Vatican?
They've been extremely supportive. Of our total
settlement, we've only needed to get permission to
alienate $200 million. [The rest of the $660 million
will come from insurance companies, religious orders,
and internal borrowing.] I've just come from a meeting
in the Congregation for Clergy to discuss it.
Would you say the Vatican has been on a learning
curve?
Some [in the Vatican] get it, and some don't. I would
say that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith and the Congregation for Clergy people get it.
Perhaps it's because those two offices have been on
the front lines of the crisis -- the CDF for the
doctrinal and disciplinary issues, and Clergy for the
money?
That's right. Cardinal Hummes particularly has been
extremely helpful. [Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes
is Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy.] Cardinal
Rodé also has been very helpful. [Slovenian Cardinal
Franc Rodé is Prefect of the Congregation for
Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life, popularly known as the Congregation
for Religious.] He gave us the key principle this past
May. He said the religious institutes must bear full
responsibility for their members, and the dioceses for
their members. He said that's the only formula that's
going to work, and that's the formula we've been
following.
Some of the other folks, in some of the other offices,
the ones from whom we had the most skepticism, are now
happily retired!
Shifting gears, what do you think the importance of
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States next
April will be?
It will be the first time the American people see him
a bit more up-close. Of course, it will depend in part
on what he has to say.
What message will you be looking for?
I would hope that he would recognize the vitality of
the church in the United States, particularly the
vitality of parish life. I hope he'll talk about lay
involvement, lay leadership, and lay ministry -- as a
plus, a real plus … (laughs) as opposed to that
document from the eight dicasteries! [The reference is
to a 1997 Vatican document issued by eight Vatican
offices raising concerns about lay ministry.] I hope
he acknowledges that this is where the church is
growing, and that we're going in the right direction.
I maintain that this is why we're not Italy or France
or someplace else, because we've been able to do that.
John Paul II acknowledged that all the time, so I hope
Benedict will emphasize that.
I think it's also important to acknowledge the faith
of our people, especially during the six or seven
years of this crisis. Our people have remained so
faith-filled. They realize that the church is not
about perpetrators of sexual abuse, it's about Jesus
Christ and his abiding presence with the church.
That's the core. It's not about us people along the
way or various segments of history, it's the presence
of Christ. I've been in awe of the faith of our
people, the way that they've rallied around their
priests and been so supportive of their priests in the
parishes. … I think the Holy Spirit does that for us.
Do you think Benedict XVI will have to address the
sexual abuse crisis?
Oh, absolutely. I think it's a unique opportunity for
him to do that. He's got to. He cannot avoid that.
Where he does it, I'm not sure. I would hope he says
something in both his homilies to large gatherings of
the Catholic faithful, not just the meeting of the
bishops. That isn't going to be helpful. I think he
needs to say something in the public arena to our
people. I think he needs to make it clear that he
understands.
I must say, I think he does [understand]. He was most
helpful at the CDF in getting things changed that we
needed changed. So, I'm hoping that in those two
arenas, he'll say something. [Benedict XVI is expected
to celebrate public Masses in Nationals Stadium in
Washington, D.C., and Yankee Stadium in New York.]
You took part in the business meeting of the College
of Cardinals with the pope, devoted largely to the
issue of Christian unity. Did you hear anything new?
I thought that Cardinal Kasper's report was a good
overview of where we are. … He pointed out where the
obstacles and challenges remain. What I found
fascinating was that the cardinals were all into this
topic. I think at first some thought that Kasper would
gave his report, then there'd be a comment or two, and
then there would be other issues. Actually, basically
the whole day, even the evening, was all on this.
As I listen to both ecumenical experts and bishops, it
seems that a gradual shift has been taking shape away
from focusing primarily on theological dialogue,
toward more practical cooperation on socio-cultural
concerns. Does that seem right?
Absolutely. Just to give you one vivid example in the
archdiocese, in the inner city we have a large Central
American parish, St. Thomas the Apostle. Right next to
it is Santa Sophia, the Los Angeles cathedral for the
Greek Orthodox. Recently we had an arson fire at St.
Thomas the Apostle, and it was closed for almost a
year. The fire was on Friday night, and the next
Sunday I went to celebrate Mass in the parking lot
with the parishioners. You know who was there? The
[Orthodox] pastor from next door, along with the Greek
Orthodox Archbishop from San Francisco, who came down
for the Mass. They loaned their facilities to the
parish. It was just phenomenal.
I joked with the archbishop, saying, 'If you and I
wanted, we could just declare unity and let the folks
in Istanbul and Rome figure it out. We could deal with
them later!' The fact is, we do so much together on so
many fronts.
How did you find the pope?
I found him very alert. As usual, the way he can sum
up everything at the end of a session is just
incredible. He listens, he's obviously taking notes.
At the end of the morning and evening sessions, he
gave a few points that captured the discussion well.
He didn't announce any new ecumenical initiative?
No. There were some suggestions from cardinals that
perhaps we need another summit.
You mean like the inter-religious summits in Assisi
under John Paul II, this time for other Christian
bodies?
Yes, but nobody really thought we're ready for that at
this point.
The e-mail address for John L. Allen Jr. is jallen@ncronline.org
Cardinal Mahony's statement regarding immigration bill
Jul 07, 2007
My brothers and sisters, although I am profoundly disappointed with the moral failure on the part of our legislators for not passing comprehensive immigration reform, I, your archbishop, your auxiliary bishops, your priests and our entire Catholic Church are not giving up. We are here today to ask you not to become discouraged and not to lose hope. We have to keep fighting and, we will continue fighting.
(The Tindings, July 6, 2007) This is not the end of immigration reform. Our immigration laws are unjust and immoral. The present system causes much suffering, including even the death of many immigrants. I and our Catholic Church will continue fighting for immigration reform that is comprehensive, just and that respects and protects the human rights and the dignity of each person.
Immigrants are an essential part of the continued economic and social well being of our city, California, and our country. Immigrants have always contributed and will always contribute something special and noble to our identity as Americans. Our country was founded by immigrants. We are all part of the same community. We shouldn't be divided by fear, or by the anti-immigrant rhetoric, which sadly has been propagated during this debate.
I assure you that I and all our Church will always be in solidarity with our immigrant community. We will always support you. Yesterday's vote only served to strengthen and renew my personal commitment and the commitment of the Catholic Church to fight even harder to achieve immigration reform.
Immigration reform is a moral issue. It will not go away. We will not let it go away. The Catholic Church will work together with our elected leaders, urging them not to abandon this issue, and to return to it as soon as possible. The Catholic Church shall continue to work toward just and humane immigration reform until it is achieved.
I also want to assure all of you that you are always welcome in our Catholic parishes, our Catholic schools, our Catholic hospitals and our Catholic social services. You all are welcomed in the Catholic Church -- this is your house.
Let me say again: I promise you that I and the Catholic Church will continue this fight for comprehensive immigration reform. Our Church stands in solidarity with you, and with all immigrants. Let us replace fear and uncertainty with courage and determination. We must, we can, and we will win this fight.
With faith in Jesus Christ, in whose image all of us were created, regardless of our legal status, let us strive together to bring about immigration reform that is just, fair and humane.
Today, we don't have a law on the part of our House of Representatives and the Senate. We don't have a civil law, but we are following a better law, the law of God. We are following the teachings of God in the Old Testament. Also, we are following the teaching and example of Jesus in the Gospel. This law for me is a higher law, and we will keep following it.
Always my brothers and sisters, always moving forward!
CTSA: Four bishops on being a bishop: 'It ain't easy'
Jun 10, 2007
By John L. Allen Jr.
Los Angeles (ncrcafe.org, Jun 8, 2007) Four prelates from the United States and Canada were asked tonight to address “The Challenge of the Call to Be a Bishop in North America Today,” and while each approached the topic differently, their presentations seemed to converge on at least one point: It ain’t easy.
Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, Bishop Donald Pelotte, of Gallup, New Mexico, Auxiliary Bishop Richard Sklba of Milwaukee, and Auxiliary Bishop Richard Grecco of Toronto spoke in Los Angeles to the annual convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America.
Mahony said he understood the challenge of the episcopacy, in part, to be a matter of attention to “the vital forces in human history, in the wider world, and specifically in this local church.” He identified three such forces in Los Angeles: diversity, vibrancy and movement, and suffering.
Mahony called Los Angeles the most diverse diocese in America, noting that each Sunday the Mass is celebrated in 42 languages and dialects. In that regard, he said, the challenge is to welcome such a diverse community, “member for member,” so the church “can be the Body of Christ, as the sacrament of reconciliation and peace in and to the world.”
In terms of vibrancy, Mahony described the results of a recent archdiocesan synod in Los Angeles. Among other things, that synod identified “the Eucharist and sacramental living” as a key priority.
“How do we remain a truly sacramental church with an increasing number of Catholics and a decreasing number of priestly vocations?” Mahony asked. He said he believes it involves “much more than ensuring that a certain number of Masses are celebrated in each parish.”
Specifically, Mahony said, it’s a matter of being faithful “not only to the supper command to ‘do this in memory of me,’ but also to the diaconal mandate to ‘do unto others as I have done for you.’”
As for suffering, Mahony recounted his experience in the 1960s and 1970s of being involved in bitter agricultural labor struggles led by Cesar Chavez. The majority of both the grape workers and the owners, he said, were Catholic, and both expected the church to be on their side.
At the time, Mahony said, he never thought he would see such hurt and anger again – until, he said, the sexual abuse crisis broke out.
“One form my ministry has taken,” he said, is “meeting with the victims of sexual abuse, looking at them face to face, listening to their pain, seeing the pain written in their faces, the scarring at the heart of their stories.” That experience, he said, has revealed that “this Body of Christ which I am called to oversee and serve, is a body still bearing wounds.”
Pelotte began by describing the unique nature of his diocese, one of only two in the United States that extend into more than one state.
In the case of Gallup, that’s so the diocese can include the entire Navajo nation, which includes portions of Northwestern New Mexico and Northeastern Arizona. Some 53 percent of the Catholics in the diocese, he said, are Native Americans, belonging to seven different tribes. For that reason, Pelotte said, it’s also the poorest diocese in the country, and could not survive without outside support.
The key challenge Pelotte said he faces is “promoting and empowering lay involvement and ministry in the church,” as well as systems of “collaboration and shared responsibility.” He described his diocesan pastoral council, for example, as the “local church in miniature.”
“It holds me to accountability to all, in terms of my leadership and the implementation of the pastoral decisions we have made together,” Pelotte said.
In Gallup, however, building consensus doesn’t mean just utilizing the ecclesial structures envisioned in canon law. Native American Catholics also draw on traditions from their own culture, such as a “talking circle,” to make sure the whole parish is involved in decisions that affect everyone.
Such efforts at dialogue can often be exhausting, Pelotte said, but “the key words are persuasion and consensus-building, not imposition.”
Sklba outlined a series of factors which make episcopal ministry challenging in North America:
• Because the Catholic church in the United States operates an extensive network of schools, hospitals, social service centers, and other institutions, bishops often find themselves “chairing dozens and dozens of corporate boards.” Efforts to make sure that these institutions operate transparently and with accountability, he said, “consumes a great deal of time and energy.”
• Polarization in the broader society and in the church, Sklba said, often involves the bishop in “exhausting efforts to bring two parties within shouting range.”
• In an increasingly global church, Sklba said, a bishop must try to ensure that the voice of the rest of the church is heard in the United States. “It can be painful to discover that other parts of the church not only do not share our perspective as American Catholics, but that they even consider our concerns fundamentally flawed,” he said. Sklba said that in the midst of the sexual abuse crisis, an African Catholic warned him against “ecclesial imperialism,” meaning the assumption that America’s answers were right for the entire church. “I have been haunted by that comment,” he said.
• Religious illiteracy in the church, Sklba said, is another serious challenge. “Contemporary Catholic experience is deeply wounded by pressing need for adult formation at every level,” he said. Too many people, he said, have “no sense of cohesive theological texture of our tradition and our faith.”
As an example of religious illiteracy, Sklba said an op/ed writer in Milwaukee recently asserted that the Catholic church refusals burial for someone who has donated an organ. When he asked the writer where he got such an erroneous idea, the writer’s answer was, “My whole family believes that’s what the church says.”
Grecco focused on the role of the bishop in reanimating parishes, saying the church in recent decades have given great attention to anthropology and to culture, meaning to the individual and the broader society, but not much to the intermediary institution of the parish.
Noting that the Vatican has recognized 120 new lay movements, Greeco implied there’s a danger that these movements could replace the concept of the parish altogether without a new vision. He stressed treating the parish as a “center of contemplation” and promotion of an “authentic personal spirituality.”
During the question and answer period, the bishops were asked to what extent the national conference is a way for them to support one another. Pelotte said that since the conference consists of around 400 bishops, “it’s difficult to get much done other than vote through documents.” He said that he finds regional meetings of bishops more useful. Mahony added that the church might consider revitalizing the ancient concept of the metropolitan province as another way for bishops to cooperate on a smaller scale.
Another questioner asked the bishops how they handle a situation of conflict between the desires of their people and the policies of the Vatican. Both Sklba and Mahony replied that sometimes the problem isn’t just Rome, but that the rest of the church doesn’t see things the same way.
“In North America, sometimes we have this impression that our pastoral priorities are priorities for the entire universal church. They’re not,” he said. “It takes a great deal of patience and humility to listen to the rest of the church.”
Perhaps the best illustration of the challenges facing bishops in North America, however, came at the very end of the hour-and-a-half-long session.
A theologian from Pittsburgh said that when she was hired at her university, the president said he might end up defending her to the local bishop. She advised the president to explain to the bishop the difference between moral theology and moral catechesis. A theologian, she said, must have the room to explore, not merely reiterate official teaching. She asked the four bishops if they agreed.
After several awkward moments, none of the bishops appeared eager to respond. At that stage, Margaret O’Gara, a professor at the University of St. Michael’s College and President-Elect of CTSA, mercifully drew the evening to a close, suggesting that perhaps this was something to talk about informally.
CTSA: Mahony accents 'autonomy and integrity' of theology
Jun 10, 2007
By John L. Allen Jr.
(ncrcafe.org, Jun 8, 2007) Los Angeles - Acknowledging what he called the proper “autonomy and integrity” of Catholic theology, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles last night praised theologians for "the long, painful, and often lonely work of research and writing” which he said is an “indispensable part of the life of the church.”
Theology, Mahony said, is vital to “the central ministry of the church, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations.”
Mahony was addressing the annual convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America, which is being held this year at the downtown Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The theme of this year’s gathering is “Bishops in the Church,” and Mahony jokingly thanked the theologians for considering bishops to be a “worthy subject.” Several other bishops are taking part in the conference, including Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Washington, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Bishop Tod Brown of Orange, California; Auxiliary Bishop Richard Sklba of Milwaukee; Emeritus Bishop Fritz Lobinger of Aliwal, South Africa; Emeritus Bishop Francisco Claver of Malaybalay, The Philippines; Emeritus Bishop John Cummins of Oakland; Thomas Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit; and Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini of San Marcos, Guatemala.
The relationship between the CTSA and the bishops has not always been irenic.
In 1997, a six-member task force of the CTSA issued a report on the church’s ban on ordination of women to the priesthood, concluding that there are “serious doubts regarding the nature of the authority of this teaching and its grounds in tradition.” In response, the doctrinal staff of the U.S. bishops’ conference sent a critique of the report to all bishops in the United States. In June 1997, Cardinal Bernard Law, then the archbishop of Boston, wrote that the CTSA “has become an association of advocacy for theological dissent” and is a theological “wasteland.”
In the same year, then-Fr. Avery Dulles, now a cardinal, charged that CTSA members had rejected “fundamental articles of Catholic belief.” Some bishops have encouraged the growth of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars as a more conservative rival to the CTSA.
Nevertheless, Mahony signaled clear support for the CTSA, saying that he believes “episcopal ministry works best when I work closely with theologians,” and that he respects “academic life with all its rights and responsibilities.”
“I have found that the work of theologians is of inestimable value for the life of the local church,” Mahony said. He mentioned ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue as areas which have been especially “strengthened by members of the Catholic theological community in Los Angeles.” Mahony described Los Angeles as “the largest, fastest growing and most diverse” diocese in America.
Mahony said that for more than 20 years, he has relied on an archdiocesan theological commission, made up of theologians from local universities and seminaries as well as pastoral workers. The cardinal said he’s called on the commission to advise him on a host of important questions, such as framing his reactions to a draft of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the lineamenta, or preparatory document, for the 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist.
Mahony also has his own personal theologian, Fr. Michael Downey, who is a well-known writer on spiritual themes.
Mahony offered what he called a “striking example” of cooperation with theologians in the form of an April 2000 pastoral letter on ministry titled “As I Have Done For You,” which he described as “the only pastoral letter penned and published by a bishop and his priests.” Mahony said the letter originated with a request from his priests in the late 1990s for a statement on changing conceptions of ministry, and he asked the priests to work with Downey in giving those ideas “theological form.”
Mahony also described meeting with area theologians in September 2000 at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, in response to Pope John Paul II’s 1990 apostolic letter Ex Corde Ecclesiae, on the Catholic identity of church-run schools and colleges. Among other things, the pope’s letter requires a Catholic theologian to have a license from the local bishop, called a “mandatum.”
“We were able to arrive at procedures whereby I fulfill my responsibilities as the ordinary, in a way that respects the autonomy and integrity of Roman Catholics teaching Catholic theology in this archdiocese,” Mahony said.
As time passes, Mahony said, “I find myself looking to theologians for assistance more often rather than less,” praising them for their intellectual efforts, sometimes derided as “ivory tower,” but which he said is a ministry “only theologians are prepared to do in service to both the academy and the church.”
The Cry of the Oppressed, at Home
May 09, 2007
Last night, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles delivered the Fifth Annual Templeton Lecture on Economic Liberties and the Constitution before a full house at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center.
(whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com, May 09, 2007) Excerpts from his text, as prepared for delivery:
Perhaps the most challenging matter of our topic to be addressed in such a short time is the economy. My perspective on the economy, however, is not the common sense understanding of this term. “Economy” has its roots in the Greek oikonomia which, in the first instance, means the arrangement of a household. Here, the principal focus is not monetary. Oikonomia suggests care for how a household is ordered or administered according to a plan. In early Christian history, oikonomia collectively referred to the way in which God’s household is ordered or administered, and in that sense economized.
God’s household, God’s grand economy, is one in which holiness and truth, justice and love, and above all, peace (eirene or shalom) prevail. In my view, what makes for a good economy is the full flourishing of everyone who is part of God’s economy, household, or community. The question is: who belongs in the household? Is God’s good household roomy enough for all? Or, who precisely is the “We” in “We the People?”...
In Catholic thought, the human person should not serve the economy, but the economy should serve the human person, so that each person and his or her family can live in dignity and without want and can move, if needed, to find the place of hope. Our laws should be configured to ensure that even the low-skilled laborer, who sits at the bottom of the economic ladder, reaps the fruit of their labor in dignity and with full rights in the society.
The current reality in our nation, however, is that we accept their labor, their separation from family, their taxes, and their purchasing power, yet we do not offer the undocumented population the protection of our laws. While such a system might meet our economic needs in the narrow measurement of monetary gain, it fails to meet the broad definition of oikonomia or the call of Scripture. It contributes to a disordered household without hope and without compassion, as we witness in immigrant neighborhoods throughout the nation.
Thus, to restore order to God’s household, we must ensure that all are welcome to the table. This means that we need to reform our immigration system in order to provide legal protection for those who live on the margins of our economy and are not invited to share in the banquet: the undocumented and future migrants who come to our nation, to work, to join family, or to support family at home.
Once it is agreed that all should share in the feast that is the fruit of their hands, the question becomes whether those who reside outside the law have the same claim to a seat at the table as those who are not outside of it. Given the current broken immigration system, Church leaders say “Yes!” Let me explain.
Many persons who in good faith oppose comprehensive immigration reform argue that the “rule of law” should be honored and that anyone who breaks the law should not be given its protection. Church leaders would agree that we are a nation built on a system of laws and that a sovereign nation has the right to protect its borders. But the term “rule of law” refers to how we are governed, and suggests that no one, not even our leaders, are free from honoring the law. Even if the most powerful citizen breaks the law, he or she is accountable to it. This is the basis of our democracy and is one of the elements that distinguishes our system from monarchy or dictatorship.
But there are other elements of democracy we must consider before rendering judgment on the undocumented immigrant. First, while we may be governed by laws, these laws are created and administered in the pursuit of justice. Any law that does not serve justice violates basic human dignity and human rights. Our constitution was written by the founding fathers to prevent unjust laws imposed by a malevolent monarch—“no taxation without representation” was our nation’s first battle cry.
In the view of Church leadership, and many others, our current immigration laws are, in a word, unjust. We gladly accept the toil and taxes of the immigrant work force to fill our economic needs, but we look the other way when they are exploited in the workplace, die in the desert, or are arrested for providing “nanny” and cleaning services at desirable addresses.
When convenient politically, we scapegoat the immigrant without acknowledging our complicity. Our immigration laws perpetuate this reality. Of the nearly one-half million immigrants who enter unauthorized into the U.S. each year (or overstay their visas), nearly 90 percent obtain jobs within six months, but there are only 5,000 immigrant visas available. This is a disordered system, hardly the arrangement of a household according to a plan where there is room enough for all at the table.
In this regard I must note that while detractors make much about the burden immigrants place on our health care and similar systems, I see just the opposite. I would suggest that we could not deliver health care in any city in this country or could not have cleared the World Trade Center debris without our immigrant workers. They are not a burden but, rather, are essential to the delivery of those economic benefits.
Our Constitution was written to ensure that justice is achieved in our land and that all receive due process under the law. In our democratic system we can change unjust laws, and, I would add, are obligated to do so. In the area of immigration, the Church leadership argues that our country has a moral obligation to change the law because it violates the order of God’s household and undermines basic human dignity.
Back in Mahony's base of LA, an ecumenical "New Sanctuary" initiative announced yesterday will grant asylum to undocumented workers fearing deportation in churches and other church-owned facilities. It's understood that, while the pastors of the nation's largest archdiocese won't be ordered to participate in the outreach, those who do have the cardinal's blessing.
On the Wane?
Apr 19, 2007
Anyone who's kept a close eye on things Catholic here in the States in recent years would be hard-pressed to deny that the most perilous cost of the sexual abuse scandal hasn't come in the form of the massive settlements with victim-survivors, the diminished Mass attendance in many places, or even the increased shuttering of parishes and schools (as difficult as each of these has been), but the loss of credibility in the church's leadership, a sea change not so much wrought by the abuse itself, but by its cover-up, or even the perception thereof.
(whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com, April 15, 2007) While a recent Zogby poll found that "support for Catholic religious leaders reached the 70 percent threshold" for the second year in a row, at the same time "results suggested that Catholic support for the bishops was directly related to whether those polled were aware of a publicly accused priest in their diocese." By several standards, among the toughest-hit US dioceses has been its largest, the 4.3 million-member archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Due to a 2002 California law which suspended the statute of limitations for one year in the wake of the clergy-abuse revelations, LA still faces in excess of 400 unsettled civil lawsuits, having already paid out over $60 million in settlements.
According to a weekend piece in the SoCal mecca's Times, "time, scandal and the shifting demographics of Los Angeles politics have diminished" the clout of Cardinal Roger Mahony, with a recent flap over an assisted-suicide bill "serv[ing] more to emphasize Mahony's weakness than to deter" his target, state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez.
Told that the cardinal had accused him of favoring a "culture of death," Nuñez expressed unhappiness but pressed ahead. "I have a lot of respect for the cardinal," Nuñez told Times columnist George Skelton, "but I'm deeply disappointed in his comments."
Unlike African American leaders, who have struggled to hold onto power in the face of their community's declining demographic significance, Mahony's limited political punch does not reflect his base: Catholics make up an increasing percentage of Los Angeles, and Latinos, who are primarily Catholic, are far and away the region's fastest-growing population group.
Instead, the cardinal's dwindling throw-weight reflects several intersecting trends as well as the damage done to the church — and to Mahony personally — by the long, painful scandal over pedophile priests. Those cases have eroded the church's authority generally and have specifically embroiled Mahony in charges that he protected priests rather than taking steps to ensure the safety of children.
Moreover, Mahony's influence oddly may be waning in inverse proportion to the power of some of his flock. Over the last decade, the rise of Latino voters has propelled a growing number of Latino officials — notably Nuñez and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — and they now command much of the leadership that once was Mahony's.
"The rise of Latino elected officials has overshadowed the influence of the church," said Raphael Sonenshein, a political science professor at Cal State Fullerton and longtime student of Los Angeles ethnic politics. "The cardinal's influence is not what it once was."
That is not to say that he has become irrelevant. On certain issues, Mahony retains forceful authority. He was, for instance, a powerful defender of immigration rights during last year's huge marches calling for immigration reform.
Mahony also retains strong standing in the labor community. A longtime proponent of the so-called "living wage," Mahony has overcome reaction to his opposition to an effort by gravediggers in Catholic cemeteries to join a union in the late 1980s; he supports the labor movement and enjoys substantial support in return from its leading figures. Mahony has, for instance, made strong statements in support of immigrant workers and striking grocery workers.
"There are key moments where he has taken strong stands," said Madeline Janis, executive director of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. "We can feel the boost when he does that."
But where the cardinal's positions as a prelate depart from those of some leading secular Latinos, his influence drops off precipitously, according to many Los Angeles political and religious leaders....
Some other interfaith leaders in Los Angeles declined to speak openly about Mahony out of fear that their comments would adversely affect their working relationships with the diocese. Their reluctance underscores that Mahony, though wounded, still has some clout.
"He is, without question, less powerful than he used to be," said one minister who spoke on the condition that his name not be used. "There was a time in the early part of his tenure when, if he called for a meeting on a subject of common concern — poverty, for example — everybody would come and take seriously what he was recommending. He doesn't even try to do that anymore.
"The fact that Nuñez, a Catholic, isn't buckling under at all is interesting," the minister added. "The cardinal is making that an absolute litmus test on whether someone in public life is morally responsible. But even Roman Catholics are divided on this issue; the Nuñez dispute shows these bishops and cardinals can't deliver their own people."
It wasn't always so....
[In the 1990s] Mahony's importance was enhanced by his close and public friendship with [then-LA Mayor Richard] Riordan. In 1999, for instance, Mahony lent quiet but important support for Riordan during the mayor's effort to push aside Ruben Zacarias, then the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Mahony's support for that move was especially significant because Zacarias was backed by many in the city's Latino community, the heart of Mahony's parish.
For labor leaders, Mahony also offered a way to reach Riordan, whose background as a venture capitalist caused many union representatives to be wary of him. Riordan, for instance, vetoed the city's first living-wage proposal, only to be overridden by the City Council. When labor officials wanted to make their case to Riordan, they reached to Mahony to broker a conversation.
"He offered a way to get into the mayor's office," Janis recalled.
Some critics of Riordan and Mahony snickered about their mutual admiration — Riordan helped raise the money to buy Mahony a jet helicopter when Mahony, a licensed pilot, was still a bishop, and wags liked to summon the image of the flying priest astride the Riordan chopper — but their allegiance helped both men accomplish important objectives.
Mahony's support helped cement the mayor's ties to Latino Los Angeles, and Riordan carried that community in both his mayoral elections.
Still, Mahony's ability to influence even that mayor had its limits. Despite his religious convictions and admiration for the cardinal, Riordan remained ardently in favor of abortion rights....
Today, Los Angeles' leading political figures no longer need Mahony in order to cement ties to the Latino electorate. Villaraigosa, for example, hardly needs Mahony to appeal to Mexican Americans.
If changing politics have diminished Mahony's influence, so too have the dispiriting controversy regarding pedophile priests and charges that the molestation of children was covered up by church officials. Even admirers of the cardinal acknowledge that it is far more difficult for church leaders to issue moral proclamations in the face of the withering allegations against their own leadership.
One result is that Mahony's influence in the Legislature is considered minimal, although the church has an active lobbying division in Sacramento that closely monitors bills.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is Catholic, met privately with Mahony after he was elected in 2003. But "we don't have any official meetings on record in our database" since then, said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear.
Former Senate leader John Burton, a Democrat from San Francisco who was raised Catholic, dismissed Mahony's influence in Sacramento except possibly among lawmakers "from his diocese."
As for Mahony's rejoinder to Nuñez, Burton added that the cardinal "ought to be worried about what the priests have done to little children rather than how elderly people choose to die."
It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone if the disproportionately loud set of Mahony's critics within the church sought to seize upon the story to attain their long-sought goal of nothing less than his scalp.
Per usual, however, said exercise would miss the underlying truth: what no less a lodestar than John Paul II termed the "crisis of credibility" in the American hierarchy has touched more points of the ideological spectrum than it hasn't, not to mention more locales than any person of goodwill would like to admit.
In happier news, the Sunday Times features a re-hash of the "Vietnamese as new Irish" phenomenon, as viewed through a spike in vocations to the priesthood.
Cardinal Mahony Asked to Deny Communion to Assisted Suicide
Apr 04, 2007
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's support is viewed as crucial for assisted suicide bill’s passage.
LOS ANGELES, April 3 2007, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Roger Cardinal Mahony, the head of the Catholic Church in Los Angeles, the largest US Catholic diocese, has publicly criticized a politician in the California legislature for supporting a bill to legalize assisted suicide. But anti-euthanasia activists are asking the Cardinal to put some ecclesiastical muscle into his opposition.
At Mass on Monday, Mahony urged Catholic voters to pressure lawmakers to vote the proposal down. “Assisted suicide is totally unnecessary - not only is it against God's law, God's plan, we simply don't need something like that,” he said. The Cardinal criticized Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, a Catholic, with whom he has discussed the proposal. Nunez's support is viewed as crucial for the bill’s passage.
“We should be troubled that Fabian Nunez - who has worshipped here in this cathedral, is a Catholic - somehow has not understood and grasped the culture of life but has allowed himself to get swept into this other direction, the culture of death,” Mahony said.
The Cardinal’s reference to the phrase made famous by the late Pope John Paul II, however, has failed to impress Canada’s leading anti-euthanasia campaigner.
Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the London Ontario based Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, told LifeSiteNews.com that if the Cardinal were serious, he would impose a severe ecclesiastical penalty, one recommended in the past by the Vatican for politicians who advance the culture of death.
Schadenberg said bluntly, “If Nunez persists in his support for the bill, Mahoney should excommunicate Nunez.”
The bill before the State Assembly and approved last week by the Assembly committee, is modelled after the Oregon state law under which, since its passage in 1997, 292 Oregonians have taken their own lives.
Schadenberg said, “This bill is not a minor change to the laws of California. It will give physicians the right to assist in the death of their patients. No safeguards, or change in language can neutralize the effects of such a bill.”
Schadenberg continued, “To support a bill that allows the intentional taking of human life is a grave act that cannot be condoned and must be treated with the strongest response by all people of goodwill who wish to build a society based on the common good.”
The Catholic Church’s code of canon law, under which both Cardinal Mahony and Nunez are bound as Catholics, requires that those who “persist in manifest grave sin” be refused Holy Communion.
Nunez has already responded to the Cardinal with rhetoric common to Catholic “pro-choice” politicians. The Associated Press reports that Nunez's spokesman Steve Maviglio said that while the speaker respects the Cardinal’s opinion “This is another issue of individual choice where the overwhelming majority of Catholics have a different perspective than the official position of the Church.”
“To allow Nunez to continue to receive communion and refer to himself as a Catholic would be a public outrage and a scandal to all people of goodwill, especially to faithful Catholics,” Schadenberg said.
Cardinal says Chavez still inspires commitment to immigration reform
Mar 28, 2007
Cesar Chavez's commitment to justice for the most vulnerable members of society continues to influence Catholics today who are fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, said Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles during the annual Mass honoring the legendary labor leader.
LOS ANGELES (CNS, Mar-28-2007) -- "We have this Mass every year near his birthday, because we want to keep alive the spirit of his spirituality and his deep commitment to the protection of all in a nonviolent way," said Cardinal Mahony at the beginning of the liturgy at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels March 25.
"We are, this moment, hoping and working so that we will get a just and fair comprehensive immigration law passed and signed before the August recess of this Congress," he added.
The cardinal said "just immigration reform" must offer a path to legal residency for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the country and not just for those who come in the future.
The next few months will be critical, said the cardinal, adding that he feared that if a law is not passed by August, Congress will likely not look at the issue again until 2009.
"Now is the time to pray and work as hard as we can to make sure that they all do something," said Cardinal Mahony.
In the cathedral's outdoor plaza following the Mass, scores of the faithful signed petitions urging Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Organizers also had on hand numerous cell phones so voters could call their representatives on the spot and leave a message.
Earlier in March, Cardinal Mahony visited Washington and made the rounds of congressional and White House offices, lobbying for passage of an immigration reform bill that includes a path to legalization for immigrants already in the country illegally, a guest worker program, appropriate border security measures and improvements in the system for reuniting families that are separated by long waits for visas.
In his homily at the Mass honoring Chavez, Deacon Valentin Saucedo noted that Chavez -- the grandson of Mexican immigrants -- relied on his Catholic faith to confront injustice.
"Cesar Chavez knew that the Eucharist gave him strength to keep fighting on behalf of the people he served in his life," said the deacon in Spanish. "The legacy of Cesar Chavez challenges us. We too are to put into practice what he left us."
Several hundred farmworkers traveled from central California to attend the Los Angeles Mass.
Following the liturgy, Richard Chavez, brother of the late labor leader, pleaded with the congregation to help the 28,000 farmworkers who lost their jobs after a January freeze destroyed the Central Valley's citrus crops and caused an estimated $1 billion in losses.
"Thousands of people have no money to take care of basic needs like rent, utilities, food," said Chavez. The Cesar Chavez Foundation is accepting monetary and food donations to assist farmworker families.
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Editor's Note: More information on comprehensive immigration reform is available on the Web at: www.justiceforimmigrants.com. Donations to assist farmworkers hurt by the citrus freeze may be made online at: www.chavezfoundation.org.
Transcript of online session with Cardinal Roger Mahony and students from St. Rita's School
Mar 08, 2007
Friday, March 2, 2007
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Cardinal Roger Mahony annually conducts a nationwide chat, living during the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. A few years back, he also asked for a separation session with students. This is the fourth such event, this year with 12 students (4 seventh-graders and 8 eighth graders) from St. Rita's School in Sierra Madre, Calif. Chris Krause (RECongress) moderated from the Anaheim event in Hall A.
Special thanks to Mrs. Joanne Harabedian, principal at St. Rita's Elementary School.
RECongress:
Good morning. Today is Friday, March 2, 2007. Welcome to our St. Rita's School Chat with Cardinal Roger Mahony, live from the main hall at the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, California. Thank you for participating; you are only the fourth school ever to be involved in such an event!
Cardinal Roger Mahony was born in Hollywood, Calif., and was ordained a priest in the Fresno Diocese. While there, he taught social work at California State University, Fresno. In 1975, he was made Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Fresno. That year, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Bishop Mahony the first chair of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, where he worked with the United Farm Workers and various growers in the state to resolve labor disputes.
In 1980, Bishop Mahony was appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Stockton and five years later he returned as Archbishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the first native Angeleno to hold the office. Bishop Mahony was made Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1991.
Cardinal Mahony joins us this morning, in his 22nd year as leader of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, the nation’s largest.
RECongress joined the chat
RECongress: I welcome you
RECongress: Thank you for participating this morning
RECongress: This is a really special annual event for the Religious Education Congress!
Sister 1 joined the chat
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RECongress joined the chat
RECongress: I have just logged on, the cardinal is not here yet
Meg P joined the chat
RECongress: But Maryann Griffin is here taking pictures!
katy t. joined the chat
Carolyn H. joined the chat
Jillian J. joined the chat
Michael N joined the chat
Alex H. joined the chat
Camille C. joined the chat
Ross W. joined the chat
Sean A. joined the chat
Brett N. joined the chat
Joe L. joined the chat
Madeline P. joined the chat
Cardinal Mahony joined the chat
strita1: Good Morning we are ready to chat!
strita1: Chris let me know when the Cardinal is ready
strita1: hi Maryann, what's new?
RECongress: The cardinal should be here in maybe 10 minutes, or so
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katy t.: Good Morning Your Eminence, these are the students from St. Rita's School
katy t.: We are honored to speak with you today
Cardinal Mahony: Let the Church say AMEN!! Good morning to all of you!!!
katy t.: Thank you for inviting us to speak with you on the online chat today!
Meg P: Good Morning
Cardinal Mahony: I am delighted to be with you--any questions?
Ross W.: Hi your eminence, my first question is about your letter "creating a culture of life" you said..."A society is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members".... what is your opinion on how our society currently deals with the homeless, mentally ill, and immigrants?
Cardinal Mahony: Great question! Sadly, we do not treat the weakest members as we must. We don't feed the hungry, we don't care for the homeless. But as disciples of Jesus, you and I must take the lead.
katy t.: Why don't we, can't we take action?
Ross W.: there are many of us who are able and willing?
Madeline P.: I agree
Jillian J.: what can we do as teenagers
Michael N: what can we do as teenagers?
Cardinal Mahony: During Lent I urge all of us to focus on these people in need, especially those here in our midst. Suggestion: let's bring food to school [cans, dried foods are best] and give to our local Food Pantry.
Michael N: sounds like a great idea!
Cardinal Mahony: I don't know about your parish, but many have food pantries to give food to the poor.
Cardinal Mahony: Suggestion: find out today what Food Pantry is near St. Rita's, contact them, and offer to help.
Jillian J.: we do have a food pantry, we share with St. Anthonys
katy t.: We love to get in the spirit of giving
Cardinal Mahony: Well, then you have a ready-made action project. Giving stuff up means using that money to help others.
Ross W.: now that we are in the lenten season, can you offer us any advice that would help us with our spiritual practices during lent?
Cardinal Mahony: Best foods: things that can go a long way, such as dried beans, rice, or mixes--such as Hamburger Helper.
katy t.: great idea
Jillian J.: that's a good idea, thank you
Brett N.: That's a good idea
Meg P: That's a good idea
Cardinal Mahony: Spiritual practices: I suggest that you each take one person/issue to pray for, and each day pray for that intention. For example, maybe pray for the children in those dreadful Darfur camps.
Jillian J.: We have Friday soup kitchens
Meg P: The students are very involved
katy t.: and the money we earn, we send to St. Anthony's
Cardinal Mahony: Terrific having those soup kitchens!
Cardinal Mahony: It sounds to me like you are on the right path already!!
Meg P: The students serve tables
Camille C.: we sponsor orphans from Africa and give money so that they can go to school eat and have clothing
Cardinal Mahony: Where do you have your soup kitchen??
Michael N: in our parish hall
Carolyn H.: in our parish hall
Jillian J.: In the Parish Hall
Cardinal Mahony: You are a terrific group--already!!! Jesus wants us to get in the habit of being strong disciples day after day.
Alex H.: It is a great way to contribute to the community
Cardinal Mahony: Also, encourage your parents and other adults to participate as well.
Madeline P.: Speaking of Children, Your Eminence, how can the Religious Education children feel more connected to the parish and the parish children?
Cardinal Mahony: It's really important to have some joint activities with Religious Ed. students. A special Mass sometime, maybe with punch afterwards. We have to make a real effort.
Madeline P.: Thank you that's a great idea
Carolyn H.: Were your family and you active in the church when you were younger?
Cardinal Mahony: My parents were involved with St. Charles Parish in North Hollywood, and my brothers and I went there too.
Cardinal Mahony: Even years ago, St. Charles had a great out-reach program.
Carolyn H.: Where you born there?
katy t.: What is your favorite book in the Bible?
Cardinal Mahony: I don't have a favorite! But from the Old Testament, I like Exodus, Ruth, Esther, Tobit.
katy t.: I love Exodus
Alex H.: By the way, Your Eminence, who in you life has inspired you the most and why?
Cardinal Mahony: With the New Testament, I like Luke's Gospel a lot--Jesus lives such a balanced life.
Meg P: i like Acts, we are studying the Old Testament now!
Brett N.: I've read Luke a ton it's also my favorite in the New Testament
Ross W.: Our church recently started a youth group. Do you see the implementations of youth groups as a means of contributing to public service and a path to future church vocations?
Carolyn H.: we were studying the Old Testament
Cardinal Mahony: I got a lot of inspiration from my parents, family members, priests in the parish, etc.
Alex H.: That is wonderful
Cardinal Mahony: Sorry--computer was losing power, had to reconnect!
Carolyn H.: no problem
Cardinal Mahony: I like Acts a lot because it shows the early Church beginning and growing.
Cardinal Mahony: Parish Youth Groups are essential--gives all of you a way to live out your faith as young adults!
Alex H.: I enjoy reading Acts also
Cardinal Mahony: Does anyone remember where the disciples of Jesus were first called "Christians"??
Brett N.: Antioch
Cardinal Mahony: Cool!!
Carolyn H.: Yeah we just learned that!
katy t.: Antioch
Cardinal Mahony: What grade are you in??
katy t.: 8th
Brett N.: 8th
Camille C.: 8th
Michael N: 7 and 8 grad
Carolyn H.: 8th and 7th grades
Alex H.: 8th
Ross W.: 7th
Sean A.: 8th
Madeline P.: what are good activities for seventh grade?
Meg P: Before that they were called the Way
Ross W.: what are good activities that will contribute to our youth group
Cardinal Mahony: What are you studying in Religion in 7/8 grades?
Meg P: yes
Camille C.: 8th grade we are studying acts and the journeys of Paul
Ross W.: The life of Jesus in the 7th grade
Madeline P.: we are studying The Sacraments (7)
Michael N: and the sacraments
Carolyn H.: And we have been taught some things you could do during Lent
Cardinal Mahony: I always encourage young people to have a good mix of activities in Youth Groups: time for some prayer, time for discussion, time to share our lives, and time for some fun!
Alex H.: Very true
katy t.: exactly I couldn't agree more!
Sean A.: I agree too
Madeline P.: Right
Cardinal Mahony: I am thrilled you are studying the life of Jesus! We can't follow someone we don't know.
Joe L.: Are there any plans of allowing women to become priests?
Ross W.: At the Cathedral why is the virgin Mary portrayed with rough hands, as if she was working in the fields?
Jillian J.: Why aren't priests and cardinals allowed to get married, when Peter one of the 12 apostles was married?
Cardinal Mahony: Priests do not marry because we are totally committed to our parishioners, and must have the time to devote all to them.
Madeline P.: That is a good reason
Camille C.: even with the shortage of priest?
Cardinal Mahony: Good question about Mary at the Cathedral. How many of you have been to your new Cathedral?
Ross W.: We all have
Jillian J.: we all have
Carolyn H.: yep
Cardinal Mahony: Wow!!
Cardinal Mahony: With the shortage of priests we have been able to involve so many of our fabulous laypeople in the work of the Church!
Alex H.: When did you first realize your calling as a priest?
Madeline P.: exactly
Cardinal Mahony: That statue of Mary over the Bronze Doors is meant to portray Mary as a woman of our times who welcomes everyone.
Alex H.: interesting
katy t.: very interesting
Cardinal Mahony: I was in grammar school when I first thought about being a priest. But that call deepened over the years.
katy t.: Do you have any siblings?
Cardinal Mahony: Yes, an older brother and a twin brother.
katy t.: really, was he interested in the church at all?
Cardinal Mahony: Any of you thinking about serving the Church as priests or sisters?
Brett N.: I am a little
Alex H.: Unfortunately, not
Madeline P.: What qualities do you look for when choosing a priest?
Cardinal Mahony: Let's stay with the priests/sisters. Qualities: love of Jesus, a special energy for serving others, an openness to the needs of all.
Cardinal Mahony: Jesus continues to call young people, but we have to keep our eyes and ears open!
Ross W.: After your visit to Cuba in 1987, and with all the speculation about Cuba's future, What is your opinion on the future of the Catholic church in Cuba?
Cardinal Mahony: I visited Cuba in 1997, when Pope John Paul was there. Great repression of the Church continues, but a lot of faith.
Cardinal Mahony: Interesting: we always have more vocations when the Church is persecuted, and we have to stand up for our faith.
Cardinal Mahony: Any favorite tapestry at your Cathedral?
Cardinal Mahony: Where does the word "Cathedral" come from???
Alex H.: excathedra
Alex H.: the bishop's chair
Sean A.: the bishops chair
Cardinal Mahony: But what does the word "cathedra" mean?
Carolyn H.: Does it do with the word Catholic?
Cardinal Mahony: Correct!!! "Cathedra" is Latin for chair, so the "Cathedral" is where the Bishop's Chair is located--you guys are smart!!
Alex H.: thank you
Sean A.: thank you
Brett N.: thank you
Madeline P.: Thank you!
Jillian J.: thank you
katy t.: thank you
Carolyn H.: Thank You
Camille C.: St. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus is our favorite tapestry\
Alex H.: What is the church's stance on the war in Iraq?
Cardinal Mahony: Amen! I love that tapestry of St. John the Baptist also!
Madeline P.: Me too
Cardinal Mahony: Another of my favorites is the tapestry of St. Joseph--he is portrayed as a young man, as he was. I don't like statues of him as an old man, since he was not an old man.
Carolyn H.: I agree
Cardinal Mahony: Pope John Paul led the way urging us not to attack or invade Iraq. The Pope has always said something true: "War is the failure of the human community to find peaceful solutions to our problems."
Carolyn H.: That was well said
Carolyn H.: sorry typo
Madeline P.: I agree
Alex H.: good statement
Ross W.: With the high population of Latino priest coming out of our area, why is the population of African-American priests coming out of Los Angeles slowly decreasing? I understand that 24% of our community in LA is Latino and 12 % is African American but why haven't many converted?
Cardinal Mahony: The Hispanic community grows up Catholic in their country of origin, so their culture, music, devotions, all center on the Church. African American history in our country did not flow from a Christian background, but now the vast majority are Christians.
Joe L.: Are there any plans of allowing women to become priests?
Camille C.: Are you against the war even though we are trying to help their governments and help the people
Cardinal Mahony: The Catholic Church did not extend evangelization to our African American brothers and sisters as we should have.
Ross W.: are we ever going to?
Cardinal Mahony: You and I do not live in a culture where there are centuries of bitter hatreds and divisions--thanks be to God!! It is so difficult to get people to see others in a new light.
Alex H.: You said it well, THANKS BE TO GOD!!!
Cardinal Mahony: It is one thing to be against going to war in the first place. Once we are in the war, we must seek every possible diplomatic effort to end it. I am glad the USA is in the talks with Syria and Iran to end this war.
katy t.: what saint do you look up to? Why?
Cardinal Mahony: But you and I become instruments of peace by getting along with one another, especially young people from different backgrounds.
Michael N: how man years have you been a priest?
Cardinal Mahony: Actually, St. Joseph is my personal patron! I was ordained a priest on May 1st, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, and ordained a bishop on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph.
Meg P: That's a good choice but St. Lucy inspires me the most
Cardinal Mahony: St. Lucy is a great saint as well!!
Michael N: how many years have you been a priest?
Cardinal Mahony: I was ordained a priest in 1962, a bishop in 1975. Any of you around back then?!!!!
Michael N: many
Carolyn H.: not even close
Michael N: nope
Madeline P.: If you became pope what would you change your name to?
Sean A.: not me
Cardinal Mahony: I'm not going to become pope, so I don't worry about a name!!
Madeline P.: what qualities do you look for when choosing a pope
Cardinal Mahony: Well, your parents were around those years!!
Michael N: ya
Michael N: mine were
Madeline P.: So were mine
Alex H.: mine were
Cardinal Mahony: Do many of you have younger brothers and sisters?
Carolyn H.: I'm the youngest of 3
Michael N: I have to older sisters
Meg P: I have a sister
Michael N: 2
Jillian J.: yes but I have an older sister
Brett N.: No I am the youngest of three
Alex H.: I am the eldest
Alex H.: of three children
Camille C.: I have a younger brother and a younger sister
katy t.: yes I have an older brother who goes to St. Francis high school
Madeline P.: yes two younger brothers an older brother and sister
Joe L.: I have 3 little brothers
Michael N: one is at the university of Santa Clara
Cardinal Mahony: All of you with younger brothers and sisters must give them good example, not a bad time!!!
Cardinal Mahony: How many of you own cats???
Carolyn H.: I do!
Joe L.: I own 2
Alex H.: my family is I own two dogs
Sean A.: I don't care for cats
Jillian J.: i don't really like cats
Meg P: i own two dogs
Ross W.: I do!
Camille C.: i have two dogs
Carolyn H.: her name is Gweny
Madeline P.: i do and i love my cat
Ross W.: If you could, what changes would you make within the catholic church?
Cardinal Mahony: I have two cats: Rafael and Gabriel, named after the Archangels!!
Madeline P.: great names
Alex H.: what wonderful names
Jillian J.: O what pretty names!!
Carolyn H.: I love those name especially Rafael
katy t.: We celebrate the blessing of the animals every year, we all bring our pets and they receive a blessing
Cardinal Mahony: Animals are a great gift of God for all of us! Our pastor at the Cathedral has a dog, and he gets along great with my cats.
Jillian J.: what happened to Miguel?
Cardinal Mahony: Miguel went to Cat Heaven in 2004.
Jillian J.: o may he rest in peace
Michael N: I understand you attended a recent La Salle football game and blessed the field. Was that your first high school football game and how did it feel to be a part of all the excitement of the first night game?
Cardinal Mahony: No, I attend Catholic HS football games each Fall. I love those games! Lots of spirit and fun! I go to about 6 to 8 each Fall.
katy t.: I think you made a real impact on their athletic program because the Girls' Soccer team is in the Championship
Cardinal Mahony: La Salle now has lights so they can have night games, really helpful.
Madeline P.: wow that's great
Alex H.: they are extremely exciting
Michael N: ya it is alot of fun
Michael N: to go to those games
Sean A.: I like football
Carolyn H.: My 3 siblings went to La Salle so I'm glad to go their if I get in
Cardinal Mahony: Am delighted that the Girls' Soccer team is in the playoffs!
Michael N: I have two sisters who went to La Salle and they love it there
katy t.: It is so exciting, I think they might go all the way
Madeline P.: Do you enjoy preaching at the Cathedral?
Alex H.: we have a very athletic school .... like LaSalle
Cardinal Mahony: What are the names of your home room teachers?
Carolyn H.: Miss Carnighan
Carolyn H.: for the 8th grade
Brett N.: Ms. Carnighan
Camille C.: Ms. Carnighan
Sean A.: Mrs. Carnighan
Jillian J.: Ms. Turner- she's a great teacher!!
Madeline P.: Ms. Turner, Randy,
Joe L.: Ms. Carnighan
katy t.: Mrs. Canighan/ Khol she just got married
Michael N: Randy!
Madeline P.: Ms. Truner rocks
Camille C.: Ms. Turner is our religion teacher
Cardinal Mahony: Sounds like a great team there!!
katy t.: We are so blessed
Alex H.: thank you
Madeline P.: What was it like going to the Vatican and choosing a new pope?
Cardinal Mahony: Have any of you ever been to Youth Day here at the Congress?
Michael N: No
katy t.: we are too young
Alex H.: we are to young
Sean A.: we are too young
Jillian J.: I'm to young
Michael N: we cant go until we r in hs
Madeline P.: we are too young but if i were old enough I would definitely go
Cardinal Mahony: Well, when you get into HS, you will love Youth Day!!
Michael N: 1 of our teachers is there with you
Ross W.: one of our teachers is there watching this with you
Jillian J.: - Mrs. Griffin
Carolyn H.: Did you ever want to hold another job then being a priest?
Cardinal Mahony: Are you real careful about how you use the Internet? MySpace.com, etc.???
katy t.: i do not have a myspace
Brett N.: I don't
Madeline P.: None of us have my space
Michael N: yes we understand that there are bad people out there and we try hard to avoid them
Camille C.: I don't have a my space
Jillian J.: yes of course. you have to be careful
Alex H.: we are very responsible here at St Ritas
Ross W.: my parents are very careful and do not allow me to have a Myspace
Cardinal Mahony: Wow! You are really smart! Stay away from that stuff; too many dangers.
Michael N: ya
Madeline P.: i will
Carolyn H.: great advice
Jillian J.: yes too many!!
katy t.: bad bad people, we prefer to go to the movies with friends
Cardinal Mahony: Have you ever visited the Archdiocese website: www.la-archdiocese.org
Jillian J.: no- but I will now
Madeline P.: No but I will now that i know it
Cardinal Mahony: Or the Cathedral website: www.olacathedral.com
Michael N: no but I will now that I know about it
Carolyn H.: I'll have to check that website out
Cardinal Mahony: We have podcasts on both websites--neat!!
Michael N: cool!!
Ross W.: If you could make any changes to the catholic church what changes would you make? and why?
Cardinal Mahony: Actually, I am more interested in focusing on Jesus Christ, his teachings and example, and our need to make the Church reflect those more fully. That's a high priority for me.
katy t.: What was it like going to Vatican City and choosing a new pope?
Jillian J.: that is a very good priority
Cardinal Mahony: We have an interesting challenge here in Los Angeles: our Catholic community continues to grow rapidly!
Madeline P.: i agree Jillian
Michael N: yes
Alex H.: What elementary school did you attend as a child?
Cardinal Mahony: I attended St. Charles school in North Hollywood.
Meg P: What is your favorite church hymn?
Madeline P.: what is your favorite type of music
Cardinal Mahony: I have a lot of favorite hymns, but one of them is: "Wherever you go," since it reflects Ruth in the Old Testament.
katy t.: In 2008, Our school is celebrating our centennial, unfortunately, the 8th graders will be in high school, but will definitely return
Cardinal Mahony: That's great! 100 years next year!!!
Cardinal Mahony: There is a lot of great sacred music out there these days!
Jillian J.: Have you ever heard the song Somebodys Knocking at your door?
Alex H.: yes, there is
Meg P: I like "Seeds Scattered and Sown"
Cardinal Mahony: Jillian, yes!
Cardinal Mahony: Meg, another good hymn!
Madeline P.: we sing that a lot at our masses
Carolyn H.: We will have to sing them for you sometime
Cardinal Mahony: How about "Who let the dogs out?"
Madeline P.: ya
Jillian J.: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michael N: o yeah!!1
katy t.: i love it
Carolyn H.: Classic!
Michael N: !!
Sean A.: That's a good one
katy t.: a classic
Madeline P.: whoo hoo
Alex H.: LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ross W.: If you were in the 7th or 8th grade and choosing a high school what characteristics and other important factors would you look at before choosing?
Cardinal Mahony: I love it too, but my cats don't!!
Jillian J.: i would imagine!!
katy t.: haha
Brett N.: hahaha
Carolyn H.: haha
Ross W.: lol
Sean A.: haha
Madeline P.: rotflol
Michael N: lol
Joe L.: lol
Jillian J.: lol
Alex H.: THE BAHA MEN REALLY PERFECTED THAT SONG!!!
Michael N: we sung somebody's knockin on your door on Ash Wednesday
Ross W.: If you were in the 7th or 8th grade and choosing a high school what characteristics and other important factors would you look at before choosing?
Cardinal Mahony: I would choose a HS that will continue to nourish your faith life, give you sound principles to live by, and support you in difficult decisions.
Madeline P.: I will look for that too
Jillian J.: What about Mayfield Sr. School?
Alex H.: every student has applied to a Catholic school this year
katy t.: Every 8th grade student has applied for a Catholic High school
Ross W.: thank you i will definitely take that into consideration
Michael N: sang
Cardinal Mahony: Being disciples of Jesus means being counter to the culture of our times frequently.
Cardinal Mahony: I am delighted that you are all thinking of going to a Catholic HS!!
Alex H.: it is very important to keep the Lord in our lives
katy t.: practical advise?
Cardinal Mahony: We are down to our last 5 minutes. Any last comment or questions?
Madeline P.: How do you feel about gay marriages? What is the Catholic church trying to do about this problem
Cardinal Mahony: Starting with Adam and Eve, we believe that God created men and women to be mates, to bring children into the world. So called "marriage" between men or between women does not carry out God's plan for us.
Alex H.: do u have a particular location you like to visit?
katy t.: i understand, I have never thought of it that way
Jillian J.: i agree with katy
katy t.: That clears things up
Cardinal Mahony: If you want to see God's creation in a powerful way, go see the re-done Griffith Observatory, and see the Planetarium show!!
Alex H.: I love going there!
Jillian J.: sounds fun!!
Brett N.: it's an awesome place
Michael N: What can we see there?
Carolyn H.: I will have to go because I haven't seen it re-done
Meg P: We have been to the Griffith Observatory as a class
katy t.: I will go there in the future
Alex H.: astronomy is so interesting
Cardinal Mahony: A great class field trip!!!
Michael N: yes
Jillian J.: yes yes indeed
Ross W.: Thank you so much for talking to us today! I understand that this is most likely a once in a lifetime experience and I am blessed to have talked to you!
Madeline P.: I really appreciated talking to you I hope we could chat with you again some time
Cardinal Mahony: I hope you have seen the Planetarium show!
Carolyn H.: i have
Michael N: this is a great experience for me!
Michael N: thank you
Madeline P.: Jillian and I will go there some time in the future
strita1: Your Eminence, thank you for chatting with us today. We look forward to your visit to our parish in May of 2008. Before then, we will visit the Cathedral with our parents and our teachers. Remember us in your prayers. St. Rita 7th and 8th graders.
Alex H.: i will always cherish this wonderful memory and experience
Brett N.: Thank you
Sean A.: This chat was cool
Jillian J.: thank you so much for your time I hope to meet you in person- you are a very nice man, and I will continue to keep my faith
Carolyn H.: I appreciate this conversation so much!
Camille C.: Thank you for talking with us
katy t.: thank you for sparing time to speak with us, hope you enjoyed speaking with us because we really enjoyed it
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