The major challenges facing the Church

Roger Michael Cardinal Mahony

Function: Archbishop of Los Angeles, California, USA

Title: Cardinal Priest of Ss Quattro Coronati

Birthdate: Feb 27, 1936	Country: USA

Elevated: Jun 28, 1991	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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The major challenges facing the Church
Apr 17, 2005
On Oct. 15, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles sat down with a group of reporters at the North American College, home to U.S. seminarians studying in Rome.

(National Catholic Reporter, October 24, 2003) A reporter asked if John Paul was still in charge of the Church.

"He's a man of great inner strength," Mahony responded. "Today he's captured in a body that is weaker. But he is so committed to carrying out his role as Peter among us. … From all I can see, he certainly is very much in control."

As evidence that John Paul's mind remains clear, Mahony said that when he met the pope this week, he told him he brought greetings from the people of Los Angeles. He said John Paul responded by recalling his 1987 trip to Los Angeles, especially his encounter with people from the world of the media in Hollywood.

"I'm not sure I could remember what I was doing in 1987," Mahony joked.

Mahony was then asked to list the major challenges facing the Church. He listed: uneven growth, with some regions of the Catholic world experiencing dramatic increases, and others facing empty Churches; offering the celebration of the Eucharist to all Catholics in an era of priest shortages; and promoting a spirit of "new evangelization."

I asked if his second item was a polite way of saying that mandatory celibacy should be re-examined.

His answer? "No."

Mahony was asked if he felt the time had come for a Third World pope.

"The Holy Spirit is going to let us know," he replied. "But there's no question that one-half of the Church today is from Latin America," suggesting that this might be a good place to look.

I asked how many of the cardinals he knew personally. He said perhaps 50 to 70, meaning a little over half. Mahony said that because he entered the College of Cardinals in 1991, he has by now acquired a bit of seniority.

"At least when the conclave comes, I'll get a room with a bathroom," he joked.

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