Sex Abuse Scandal - Archbishop sacks Cardinal Mahony, Bishop Curry resigns, Abuse documents due Feb. 22 - Los Angeles
Gomez warns reading documents will be painful and difficult.
Los Angeles Archbishop, Jose Gomez announced that Cardinal Mahony and Santa Barbara Bishop Thomas Curry would no longer serve in their former capacities. He is removing them as a direct response to the abuse scandal which has rocked the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Gomez has also warned the public that the soon-to-be-public abuse files would be difficult to read.
Archbishop Gomez has relieved Cardinal Mahony of all public duties.
PrintLOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Referring to the abuse and its subsequent cover up as "evil" Archbishop Gomez announced that Cardinal Roger Mahony would no longer perform public duties in the Archdiocese. Additionally, he said that Santa Barbara Bishop Thomas Curry has stepped down from his position.
Gomez's actions have come as the Church faces added criticism for resisting initial efforts to bring the abuse scandal to light. It was only after a civil suit and several court rulings that internal records specific to numerous cases have become public.
What those records show is heartbreaking according to officials who have read them. Documents which have already been released clearly reveal that Cardinal Mahony and Bishop Curry deliberately and knowingly took steps to conceal the abuse of children from law enforcement and to protect abusive priests.
There can be virtually no greater dereliction of duty to commit such an act.
Mahony has publicly apologized for his part in the scandal. Curry also made an apology according to Gomez.
However, justice is only now just being served after more than two decades of silence. The records that are due for release will include the names of many individuals involved in cases as well as those officials who may have participated in efforts to conceal abusive priests from law enforcement.
The good news is that Archbishiop Gomez is taking both a serious and aggressive stance on the issue, a refreshing change for victims and their advocates.
Gomez has warned those who will review the files that they will be difficult to read.
"I find these files to be brutal and painful reading. The behavior described in these files is terribly sad and evil. There is no excuse, no explaining away what happened to these children. The priests involved had the duty to be their spiritual fathers and they failed. We need to acknowledge that terrible failure today," Gomez wrote in a statement.
Gomez added, "Effective immediately, I have informed Cardinal Mahony that he will no longer have any administrative or public duties. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry has also publicly apologized for his decisions while serving as Vicar for Clergy. I have accepted his request to be relieved of his responsibility as the Regional Bishop of Santa Barbara."
The documents are to be turned over to the court before Feb. 22, according to court order. Following that, the documents will be swiftly made public.
The handover of the files represents the last part of a $660 million civil settlement.
Gomez's full letter follows.
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
This week we are releasing the files of priests who sexually abused children while they were serving in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
These files document abuses that happened decades ago. But that does not make them less serious.
I find these files to be brutal and painful reading. The behavior described in these files is terribly sad and evil. There is no excuse, no explaining away what happened to these children. The priests involved had the duty to be their spiritual fathers and they failed.
We need to acknowledge that terrible failure today. We need to pray for everyone who has ever been hurt by members of the Church. And we need to continue to support the long and painful process of healing their wounds and restoring the trust that was broken.
I cannot undo the failings of the past that we find in these pages. Reading these files, reflecting on the wounds that were caused, has been the saddest experience I've had since becoming your Archbishop in 2011.
My predecessor, retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, has expressed his sorrow for his failure to fully protect young people entrusted to his care. Effective immediately, I have informed Cardinal Mahony that he will no longer have any administrative or public duties. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry has also publicly apologized for his decisions while serving as Vicar for Clergy. I have accepted his request to be relieved of his responsibility as the Regional Bishop of Santa Barbara.
To every victim of child sexual abuse by a member of our Church: I want to help you in your healing. I am profoundly sorry for these sins against you.
To every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, I want you to know: We will continue, as we have for many years now, to immediately report every credible allegation of abuse to law enforcement authorities and to remove those credibly accused from ministry. We will continue to work, every day, to make sure that our children are safe and loved and cared for in our parishes, schools and in every ministry in the Archdiocese.
In the weeks ahead, I will address all of these matters in greater detail. Today is a time for prayer and reflection and deep compassion for the victims of child sexual abuse.
I entrust all of us and our children and families to the tender care and protection of our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of the Angels.
© 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.
Gomez's actions have come as the Church faces added criticism for resisting initial efforts to bring the abuse scandal to light. It was only after a civil suit and several court rulings that internal records specific to numerous cases have become public.
What those records show is heartbreaking according to officials who have read them. Documents which have already been released clearly reveal that Cardinal Mahony and Bishop Curry deliberately and knowingly took steps to conceal the abuse of children from law enforcement and to protect abusive priests.
There can be virtually no greater dereliction of duty to commit such an act.
Mahony has publicly apologized for his part in the scandal. Curry also made an apology according to Gomez.
However, justice is only now just being served after more than two decades of silence. The records that are due for release will include the names of many individuals involved in cases as well as those officials who may have participated in efforts to conceal abusive priests from law enforcement.
The good news is that Archbishiop Gomez is taking both a serious and aggressive stance on the issue, a refreshing change for victims and their advocates.
Gomez has warned those who will review the files that they will be difficult to read.
"I find these files to be brutal and painful reading. The behavior described in these files is terribly sad and evil. There is no excuse, no explaining away what happened to these children. The priests involved had the duty to be their spiritual fathers and they failed. We need to acknowledge that terrible failure today," Gomez wrote in a statement.
Gomez added, "Effective immediately, I have informed Cardinal Mahony that he will no longer have any administrative or public duties. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry has also publicly apologized for his decisions while serving as Vicar for Clergy. I have accepted his request to be relieved of his responsibility as the Regional Bishop of Santa Barbara."
The documents are to be turned over to the court before Feb. 22, according to court order. Following that, the documents will be swiftly made public.
The handover of the files represents the last part of a $660 million civil settlement.
Gomez's full letter follows.
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
This week we are releasing the files of priests who sexually abused children while they were serving in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
These files document abuses that happened decades ago. But that does not make them less serious.
I find these files to be brutal and painful reading. The behavior described in these files is terribly sad and evil. There is no excuse, no explaining away what happened to these children. The priests involved had the duty to be their spiritual fathers and they failed.
We need to acknowledge that terrible failure today. We need to pray for everyone who has ever been hurt by members of the Church. And we need to continue to support the long and painful process of healing their wounds and restoring the trust that was broken.
I cannot undo the failings of the past that we find in these pages. Reading these files, reflecting on the wounds that were caused, has been the saddest experience I've had since becoming your Archbishop in 2011.
My predecessor, retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, has expressed his sorrow for his failure to fully protect young people entrusted to his care. Effective immediately, I have informed Cardinal Mahony that he will no longer have any administrative or public duties. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry has also publicly apologized for his decisions while serving as Vicar for Clergy. I have accepted his request to be relieved of his responsibility as the Regional Bishop of Santa Barbara.
To every victim of child sexual abuse by a member of our Church: I want to help you in your healing. I am profoundly sorry for these sins against you.
To every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, I want you to know: We will continue, as we have for many years now, to immediately report every credible allegation of abuse to law enforcement authorities and to remove those credibly accused from ministry. We will continue to work, every day, to make sure that our children are safe and loved and cared for in our parishes, schools and in every ministry in the Archdiocese.
In the weeks ahead, I will address all of these matters in greater detail. Today is a time for prayer and reflection and deep compassion for the victims of child sexual abuse.
I entrust all of us and our children and families to the tender care and protection of our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of the Angels.
© 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.
- - -
Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
Keywords: Gomez, Mahony, Curry, sex abuse, children, molestation, church, cover up, documents, settlement
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If it seems a little strange that this struggle is still going on, it is strange indeed. For instance, no one seems to be asking why the Los Angeles D.A.'s office continues to investigate a beleaguered "case" at taxpayer expense that it is unlikely to ever legally prosecute. It certainly makes sensational press, but one would think the D.A. would have enough current cases it needs to work on.
Our justice system does not promote rehabilitation, reconciliation, or healing in any sense. It is only good at retribution. Given the large number of registered sex offenders in my otherwise pleasant neighborhood, and who knows how many that aren't required to register, it's perhaps not even very good at that. At this stage in the treatment of these horrific abuse crimes by priests, I'll still take the Catholic Church any day of the week. It may not be as perfect as the D.A.'s office but, thanks to the later actions by Cardinal Mahony and Bishop Curry, it is much better equipped to heal the present condition. And under their leadership in recent years, children are once again safer in the Catholic Church than just about anywhere.
May God help our erring priest and give them the grace to serve him according to their religious vows. Though its sad to hear how the truth of the case was for long hiding. This event should not in any way create doubt in our faith as catholics( the imperfection of man).
I agree with Jim3031. The Catholic religion is a religion of forgiveness, and if taught wrongly that forgiveness can be misused to cover up sin and continue it. Who knows what motivated Curry to cover it up? He obviously recognizes his failure now. And Mahony is a sinner. We are all sinners. As a priest Mahony should have especially been stopped and treated, but he wasn't, that is his fault and Currys, but we don't know to what extent it was their fault as we don't know what they were thinking (how they were justifying it) or how sick Mahony really was in his mind. Gomez is clearly taking a fighting stance to try to fix all these wrongs, that kind of will to fight might happen over night but to start fighting overnight is impossible as you need to learn how to help such a large number of people. He's probably been fighting this for a long time, maybe publicly maybe not. Now that he is in a position of power people are starting to listen, that doesn't mean he was hiding until now. I feel sad for all those children.
Can a bishop "sack " a cardinal? I thought only the pope could. It's not as if Archbishop Gomez never saw these records until now, so why is he so shocked now? Something doesn't add up.
Many good priests and bishops were caught in this web of evil because they were not properly trained and undoubtedly felt that the compassionate and loving way to handle the bad priests was to help them in a way that was inappropriate to reality. Unfortunately pedophiles can rarely be weaned off their perverse desires and subsequent actions with any treatment other than their total removal from the society where they can continue to find victims..We now understand this and the Catholic hierarchy does, too, I hope. But it is always human failings that have led to these scandals. The church of Christ on earth still remains holy as an institution, This we must remember.
Truth does not hurt, living a lie does. This brave act of exposure and punishment must spread worldwide. It is no secret that a few priests in developing countries are hoarding wealth. This form of abuse means that they are no longer afraid of sin and it's consequence. It is better to go about with one limb.
I am very sad to see where the church has gone. Who do we have to turn to when things go wrong, bad people do bad things, when it is also happening in the church of God? I am still a Catholic because I believe in and love God, and I truly believe that most priests are good; the only publicized priests are the bad ones, the rest are still quietly working to help their communities alongside their brothers and sisters.
But Bishop Curry. I was so shocked when I heard about Bishop Curry today. Curry is one of my grandfather's best friends; I have known him since I was almost 3. I have met him hundreds of times; we've driven him to the airport; I cannot even fathom something like this happening to him.