Roger Mahony

This article is about the cardinal. For the American football player, seeRoger Mahoney (American football).

Roger Michael MahonyKGCHS(born February 27, 1936) is an American cardinal and retired prelate of theCatholic Churchwho served as archbishop of theArchdiocese of Los Angelesin California from 1985 to 2011. Before his appointment, he served as an auxiliary bishop of theDiocese of Fresnofrom 1975 to 1980 and bishop of theDiocese of Stocktonfrom 1980 to 1985.

His Eminence Roger Michael Mahony KGCHS
Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles
Cardinal Mahony in March 2006
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Appointed	July 12, 1985
Installed	September 5, 1985
Retired	March 1, 2011
Predecessor	Timothy Manning
Successor	José Horacio Gómez
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Quattro Coronati
Previous post(s)	Bishop ofStockton (1980–1985) Auxiliary BishopofFresnoandTitular BishopofTamascani< (1975–1980)
Orders
Ordination	May 1, 1962 byAloysius Joseph Willinger
Consecration	March 19, 1975 byHugh Aloysius Donohoe,William Robert Johnson,andJohn Stephen Cummins
Created cardinal	June 28, 1991 byJohn Paul II
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	(1936-02-27)February 27, 1936 Los Angeles,California,US
Denomination	Catholic Church
Parents	Victor and Loretta Mahony
Education	Catholic University of America
Motto	To reconcile God's people
Ordination history
History Priestly ordination Ordained by Aloysius Joseph Willinger Date May 1, 1962 Episcopal consecration Consecrated by Hugh Aloysius Donohoe(Fresno) Date March 19, 1975 Cardinalate Elevated by Pope John Paul II Date June 28, 1991
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by Roger Mahony as principal consecrator George Patrick Ziemann February 23, 1987 Armando Xavier Ochoa February 23, 1987 Carl Anthony Fisher February 23, 1987 Sylvester Donovan Ryan May 31, 1990 Stephen Edward Blaire May 31, 1990 Joseph Martin Sartoris March 19, 1994 Thomas John Curry March 19, 1994 Gabino Zavala March 19, 1994 George Hugh Niederauer January 25, 1995 Gerald Eugene Wilkerson January 21, 1998 Edward William Clark March 26, 2001 Oscar A. Solis February 10, 2004 Alexander Salazar November 4, 2004
Styles
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Los Angeles(Emeritus)

Born inLos Angelesand raised in theSan Fernando Valley,Mahony wasordainedto the priesthood in 1962. He was appointedauxiliary bishopof Fresno in January 1975 and consecratedbishopin March 1975. Mahony was then appointed bishop of Stockton in 1980. In 1985, he was appointed archbishop of Los Angeles byPope John Paul II,and became the first Los Angeles native to hold the office. The pope created Mahony a cardinal in 1991, and he voted in thepapal conclavesthat elected PopesBenedict XVIandFrancis.

During his tenure as Los Angeles archbishop, Mahony was instrumental in dividing the archdiocese into five administrative subdivisions and in guiding the construction of theCathedral of Our Lady of the Angels,which opened in September 2002. Mahony has also been identified as a key figure in the cover-up of the Catholic Churchsexual abuse scandal,where dozens of abusive priests were moved to other churches rather than prosecuted. In 2007, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles apologized for abuses by priests and announced a record-breaking settlement of$660 million for 508 victims.

In 2011, Mahony reached themandatory retirementage for bishops and was succeeded by ArchbishopJosé Horacio Gómezon March 1.On January 31, 2013, Gómez relieved Mahony of his public and episcopal duties in the archdiocese, following the release of personnel files documenting priests' sexual abuse during Mahony's tenure.

Early life and priesthood

Roger Mahony was born on February 27, 1936, in theHollywooddistrict of Los Angeles, the son of Victor and Loretta (née Baron) Mahony. He has a twin brother, Louis, and an older brother, Neil. Roger Mahony attendedSt. Charles Borromeo Grammar Schoolin North Hollywood andLos Angeles College.

After studying at the Our Lady Queen of Angels Seminary andSt. John's Seminary,Mahony wasordainedto the priesthood for the Diocese of Fresno on May 1, 1962, by BishopAloysius Joseph Willinger.

Mahony graduated fromCatholic University of Americain Washington, D.C., in 1964 with aMaster of Social Workdegree. For the next 13 years, Mahony heldpastoralandcurialassignments in the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno and the newly formed Diocese of Fresno. He also taughtsocial workatFresno State UniversityinFresno, California.Mahony was named amonsignorin February 1967.

Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno

Mahony's coat of arms on thecathedrain the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels inLos Angeles

On January 7, 1975, Mahony was appointed asauxiliary bishopof Fresno andtitular bishopof Tamascani byPope Paul VI.He received hisepiscopal consecrationon March 19, 1975, in Fresno from BishopHugh Donohoe,with BishopsWilliam JohnsonandJohn Cumminsserving as co-consecrators.

Also in 1975, California GovernorJerry Brownappointed Mahony as chair of theCalifornia Agricultural Labor Relations Board.As chair, he worked to resolve labor disputes between theUnited Farm Workers,the farmworkers union, and growers.

Bishop of Stockton

On February 15, 1980, Mahony was appointed bishop of Stockton byPope John Paul II,as announced by the nuncio,Jean Jadot.Mahony terminated two extern priests forsexual abuseduring his tenure at Stockton.

In 1980, shortly after Mahony became bishop of Stockton, a parent wrote to the diocese accusing the ReverendOliver O'Gradyof molesting his two sons. Mahony in 1982 then transferred O'Grady to another parish. Soon more accusations arose from the new parish.In 1984, the local police closed an investigation into O'Grady after a diocesan lawyer promised to keep him away from children.In December 1984, despite the earlier promise, Mahony transferred O'Grady to another parish.

In 1998, Mahony, now archbishop of Los Angeles, returned to Stockton to testify in a civil trial against the diocese. A jury later awarded $30 million in damages to two of O'Grady's victims.

Archbishop of Los Angeles and Cardinal-Priest

Mahony with former U.S. CongresswomanDiane Watson(D-CA)

On July 16, 1985, Mahony was appointed as archbishop of Los Angeles by John Paul II, becoming the first nativeAngelenoto hold that office. He was createdcardinal-priestof theBasilica dei Santi Quattro Coronatiin Rome by John Paul II in theconsistoryof June 28, 1991.

The1994 Northridge earthquakenecessitated the demolition of theCathedral of Saint Vibiana.Mahony then began planning the new $190 millionCathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.Many Catholics were upset about its non-traditional design and high project cost. In response, Mahony noted that foundations and donors were funding the new cathedral, not parishes. He also said that the archdiocese needed a mother church and religious center to unite its people.One of the largest Catholic churches in the United States, the new cathedral was dedicated on September 2, 2002.

In 1987, Mahony announced the auction of the Doheny rare book collection atSt. John's Seminaryin Camarillo, California. The philanthropist Carrie Estelle Doheny had donated the collection, which included aGutenberg Bibleand a first edition of the novelThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,to the seminary during the 1940s and 1950s. Mahony cited the financial needs of the archdiocese and the high cost of insuring the collections as the reasons for its sale. The proceeds would fund an endowment for training new priests.

The auction raised $37.8 million for the archdiocese. However, by 1996 the archdiocese had spent as much as $25 million of the proceeds on other projects, including $1 million to renovate Mahony's residence.

During Mahony's tenure in Los Angeles, the number of priests declined while the number of lay ministers increased. Mahony remarked on this:

"What some refer to as a 'vocations crisis' is, rather, one of the many fruits of the Second Vatican Council. It is a sign of God's deep love for the Church, and an invitation to a more creative and effective ordering of gifts and energy in the Body of Christ."

In May 1998, Mahony announced he had been diagnosed withprostate cancer.He underwent aprostatectomyon June 15, 1998; doctors said that the surgery was successful.Mahony was acardinal electorin the2005 papal conclavethat selectedPope Benedict XVI.

Retirement and legacy

On April 6, 2010,Pope Benedict XVInamed Archbishop Gómez as thecoadjutor archbishopin Los Angeles to assist Mahony.After the Vatican accepted Mahony's resignation as archbishop of Los Angeles on February 28, 2011, Gómez automatically succeeded him. The formal ceremony of transition was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, with Mahony's resignation taking canonical effect, on March 1, 2011.

In his retirement, Mahony said that he planned to devote more time to advocacy forimmigrants.He took up residence in St. Borromeo in North Hollywood.

On January 31, 2013, Gómez relieved Mahony of all of his remaining public and administrative duties.Mahony remained "a priest in good standing" and could still celebratemass,but could no longer speak publicly or exercise a bishop's responsibilities. such as performingconfirmations.Critics called Gómez's action "purely symbolic punishment" and "hand-slapping...a nearly meaningless gesture", and noted that Mahony remained "a powerful man" in the church.

Following the February 2013resignation of Pope Benedict XVI,some Catholic groups objected to Mahony's voting in apapal conclaveso soon after his censure.However, Mahony participated in theconclave in March 2013that elected Pope Francis.

In May 2013, after officiating at aconfirmationservice, Mahony told aLos Angeles Timesreporter that the ban on confirmations was "news to him". Mahony added, "I've been doing them every week and I'm going to be doing them every week... So go home."

In 2018, a group launched a petition drive calling on the archdiocese to remove Mahony from St. Charles Borromeo Parish. On September 16, 2018, demonstrators gathered in front of St. Charles Borromeo Church during a church service to protest Mahony's involvement in the sexual abuse scandal.

Other offices

• Board member, Catholic University of America
• Member,United States Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB) Committees on Liturgy, Pro-Life Activities, and Migration & Refugees
• Member,Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace(1984–1989)
• Member,Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants(1986–1991)
• Member,Pontifical Council for Social Communications(1989–2000)
• Member,Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See(2000–2019)
• Member, Congregation for Eastern Churches

Viewpoints

Abortion.

In 2021, Mahony criticized “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church”, a resolution proposed in the USCCB. The resolution called on bishops to ban communion to Catholic public officials who supportedabortion rights for women.Mahony stated,

“First of all, we are a democratic republic. Our country’s path is one of separation of church and state. And so, it’s a very difficult position for politicians, Catholics, who are pressured by some in the Church to make all of the decisions based on Catholic Church doctrine.”

Films

In 1992, Mahony published apastoral letterFilm Makers, Film Viewerson the topic oftelevision newsand the entertainment industry. In the letter, he rejected film censorship, instead advocating that filmmakers and television writers strive for "human values" when portraying sexual situations and violence in their products.

Immigration

Mahony criticized certain provisions in theBorder Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005(H.R. 4437), introduced byRepublicanmembers of theUS House of Representatives.He told US PresidentGeorge W. Bushthat the bill would effectively prevent the Catholic church from providing charitable assistance and religious ministry toundocumented immigrants.In May 2006, Mahony announced that he would order his clergy and lay people to ignore the law if it were passed.

Mahony personally lobbied the US senators from California,Barbara BoxerandDianne Feinstein,to have theUS Senateconsider a comprehensive immigration reform bill, rather than the House bill.Mahony also blamed theUS Congressfor the illegal immigration crisis, due to its failure to act on the issue over the previous 20 years. He supported instead theComprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.Neither plan passed Congress.

Mass

Mahony in September 1997 published apastoral letteron the mass entitled "Gather Faithfully Together: A Guide for Sunday Mass".The letter called all parishes to plan and celebrate each Sunday mass in order to deepen the faith-life of all Catholics through theeucharist.Mother Angelica,the host of a popular program on theEternal Word Television Network(EWTN), commented that the pastoral letter was inconsistent with existing official liturgical directives set by the Vatican.

Sexual abuse scandal in Los Angeles

Main article:Sexual abuse scandal in Los Angeles archdiocese

In 1988, Mahony adopted what he termed as azero-tolerancepolicy on sexual abuse allegations against clergy. In 1992, at a national meeting of Catholic bishops, Mahony stated that the church needed to do more to combat sexual abuse of minors. In 2002, he ordered the removal of 12 priests in the archdiocese from ministry due to credible accusations of sexual abuse.

In February 2004, the archdiocese issued theReport to the People of God.The report contained an apology from Mahony for the failing of the archdiocese in handling accusations of sexual abuse. It included a detailed list of priests and circumstances in cases of known abuse. It also described the development of archdiocesan policy related to sexual abuse, and case studies of accused priests. It included details of the most significant cases in the archdiocese's history. However,Report to the People of Godfailed to include information on 33 priests who were accused of sexual abuse, but whose cases lacked confirmatory evidence. Despite strong criticism from the media, the archdiocese blocked the release of this information.

In 2007, the archdiocese apologized again for abuses by priests and announced a legal settlement of$660 million to 508 victims, averaging $1.3 million per plaintiff. Mahony described the abuse as a "terriblesinand crime ". The agreement settled all outstanding civil lawsuits at that time against the archdiocese.

In 2013, after Mahony's retirement as archbishop, the archdiocese released memos written by Auxiliary BishopThomas John Curryto Mahony in 1986 and 1987, discussing potential legal accountability for priests accused of sexual abuse. Curry recommended that the archdiocese encourage priests seeking therapy to avoid using therapists who might report them to law enforcement. At the same time, Mahony wrote the director of theServants of the Paracletescenter inNew Mexico,which treated priests who had committed sexual abuse. Mahony wanted to prevent any of his priests at the center from returning to Los Angeles. He cited possible lawsuits by their victims, whom the archdiocese had been assured that the priests would never return.

In February 2020, Mahony was named as a defendant in a lawsuit where he was accused of shielding convicted ex-priest Michael Baker.In April 2021, Mahony was accused in a lawsuit of sexually molesting a teenage boy.

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

External links

• "Mahony Card. Roger Michael".Holy See Press Office.Archivedfrom the original on September 4, 2017.RetrievedNovember 4,2017.
• Mahony's blog
• Archdiocese of Los Angeles website
• Mahony's speech at the National Press Club,delivered May 25, 2000
• "Called By God To Help",editorial by Mahony inThe New York Times,published 2006-03-22
• "Los Angeles Cardinal Hid Abuse, Files Show"New York Times,January 21, 2013
• Landsberg, Mitchell (February 23, 2011)."Roger Mahony leaves a mixed legacy: Once seen as a possible candidate for pope, the cardinal's career was derailed by the church sex scandal".Los Angeles Times.