Cardinal Mahony in Rome Despite Calls to Skip Conclave

Gazzetta Del Sud
February 25, 2013

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/36160/Cardinal-Mahony-in-Rome-despite-calls-to-skip-conclave.html


Rome, February 25 - Controversial American Cardinal Roger Mahony, who critics have urged to abstain from the conclave to elect a new pope over a growing sex-abuse scandal, is in Rome and attended Benedict XVI's final Angelus on Sunday, Mahony said on his blog Monday. Mahony answered questions under oath Saturday about a visiting Mexican priest who in 1987 is believed to have molested 26 children at the Los Angeles Archdiocese, where he was the archbishop at the time. A grass-roots campaign had sprung up, trying to shame Mahony into dropping out of the conclave over allegations that he protected sexually abusive priests by moving them to other parishes. But Mahony has appeared defiant as supporters in the Church defend his right and duty to attend. "I'm looking forward to attending Pope Benedict's final General Audience on Wednesday of this week. Historic days, prayer needed!" he posted on Twitter on Monday. "Will be tweeting often from Rome, except during the actual Conclave itself," he said in a tweet Friday.