My Fox
April 5, 2007
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2853507&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Los Angeles — Cardinal Roger Mahony will be honored next week for his support of undocumented immigrants, but today a group representing victims of clergy abuse said his lack of support for children molested by priests makes him undeserving of the recognition.
Mahony will receive the "Voice of the Voiceless" award on April 14 from the Annunciation House, a Texas-based group that provides housing and assistance to people who are in the country illegally.
Mahony has been outspoken in his support for undocumented immigrants and the Annunciation House award is to meant to recognize "the value of these voices that offer a guiding path of light in times of darkness," according to the group.
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The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, however, said Mahony does not deserve the award because of the way he treats children who have been sexually abused by clergy members.
"Rewarding Mahony with an award rubs salt in already deep and still fresh wounds of children raped and sodomized by clergy," said Steven Sanchez, the group's Los Angeles director.
"If Mahony truly cared about the vulnerable and the oppressed, as he claims and as this Texas group apparently believes, then he would come clean and stop shielding dangerous sexual predators from police."
Mary Grant, the group's western regional director, said Mahony "is hiding behind his seemingly good words about undocumented immigrants, while ignoring his own role in harming innocent children."
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said Mahony is deserving of the award, which draws attention to the treatment of illegal immigrants.
"The award stands for advocacy on behalf of the very poorest in our society, the undocumented, who because they don't have papers often cannot get basic services such as food, shelter, clothing and medical attention," said Tod Tamberg, archdiocese spokesman.
"The cardinal has for decades spoken out on behalf of these very people, and caring for these people is the ministry of the people at Annunciation House."
SNAP's characterization of Mahony's treatment of abuse victims is an "absolute false statement," Tamberg said.
"Cardinal Mahony has and continues to meet with any and all victims of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He has had somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 private meetings with victims in the past year. It has become a major focus of his personal ministry," Tamberg said.
Mahony's support of undocumented immigrants has also drawn criticism from opponents of illegal immigration.
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