[See also other articles by Gustavo Arellano.]

The Catholic Diocese of Orange's Red Mass will occur today, and David Belz is happy! In a confidential e-mail obtained by the Weekly, the Rancho Santa Margarita attorney and member of the local chapter of the St. Thomas More Society tells the letter's recipients that "The 2008 Red Mass is shaping up to be the best ever. We have commitments from the largest number of judges we have ever had."

Ooh, goody! You mean it'll be better than the Red Mass where all those judges and attorneys ignored the Catholic Church sex-abuse survivors who stood in the pounding rain outside Holy Family Cathedral in Orange?

David Belz

Of course, Belz would argue. "The homilist this year, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, is a JD and Canon Lawyer from the Diocese of Chicago. Bishop Paprocki has a reputation for delivering thoughtful and inspiring messages."

Hey, Dave: You forgot to mention that Paprocki said that Satan motivates sex-abuse victims to seek justice for their abuse .

Oh, but Belz gets better than just his lame-o email.

In 2004, Belz--a co-founder of the Orange County St. Thomas More Society--presented his organization's Lawyer of the Year award to Peter Callous Callahan, the scourge of sex-abuse victims and legal hatchet man for the Orange diocese on sex-abuse matters dating back to the days of Bishop Norman McFarland. "Pete applies the strongest moral principles to both the practice of his faith and his profession. That, in addition to the respect he has earned for his many contributions to the community, make him deserving of this prestigious award," Belz said in a press release at the time .

Callahan, moral? HA! For the St. Thomas More Society to honor Callahan is like the Simon Wiesenthal Center giving an award to Holocaust denier David Irving. Go have your best-ever Red Mass, Belz, but don't be surprised if red and orange are the first colors your eyes see after you talk with St. Peter.

E-mail: GARELLANO@OCWEEKLY.COM