Pressure to Prevent US Cardinal from Going to Rome

By Lisa Millar
Lateline
February 26, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3699071.htm

Transcript

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: The resignation of the UK's top cardinal, Keith O'Brien, has encouraged Catholic activists in the United States who've been demanding the former Los Angeles Archbishop, Roger Mahony, pull out of the papal conclave.

They've delivered a petition of 10,000 names to the now Cardinal Mahony alleging he's a Church leader tainted by the sex abuse scandal and therefore unfit to take part in the new pope's election next month.

North America correspondent Lisa Millar reports.

LISA MILLAR, REPORTER: Ten thousand names united in one cause.

PETITIONER: I would respectfully ask that you deliver this petition on to Cardinal Mahony that he recuse himself from the upcoming papal conclave.

LISA MILLAR: The delivery of a weekend petition adds to the pressure being piled on the former Archbishop of Los Angeles.

JOELLE CASTEIX, SURVIVORS NETWORK: We believe that a man like Cardinal Mahony is a man who will vote for a pope who will only protect Cardinal Mahony's best interests, and those interests include the continued cover up of child sexual abuse. Those interests include the continued cover up of child sex crimes.

LISA MILLAR: Cardinal Roger Mahony spent four hours being questioned by lawyers about his time as head of the Church in LA from 1985 to 2011. Church documents only recently unsealed reveal how badly he handled allegations of sexual abuse, sending priests who'd been accused out of California and failing to tell parishioners the truth.

Catholics United says it's not enough the retired archbishop has been stripped of his public duties.

JAMES SALT, EXEC. DIR., CATHOLICS UNITED: It's very clear that Cardinal Mahony participated in grave error in judgment in putting the interests of the Church ahead of the interests of the children. That's very clear. In fact some would argue it's criminal, what he did. The question though is it's so long ago, has the statute in limitations expired?

LISA MILLAR: As the cardinals prepare to select the next head of the Church, many of its 1.2 billion members are demanding a new approach. And for Catholics United, that means cardinals tainted by the sex abuse scandal should be stopped from voting for the Pope.

JAMES SALT: Well Roger Mahony's participation reminds us of the great scandal in the sins of the Church leadership rather than allowing us to celebrate the future of Catholicism. In many ways it's a distraction of what the Church could be to what the Church leaders have done with their actions.

LISA MILLAR: Cardinal Mahony has already left for Rome and has shown no signs of withdrawing from the conclave. He appeared to be responding to the latest developments on his blog, saying, "I can't recall a time such as now when people tend to be so judgmental and even self-righteous, so quick to accuse, judge and condemn and often with scant real facts and information."

The furore surrounding Cardinal Mahony has split Catholics in Italy as well.

PHILIP PULLELLA, REUTERS VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: I don't think anybody would be able to say, "You can't come into this conclave because," because there are probably if you scratch the surface hard enough you will probably come up with a number of other cardinals who are in similar situation and maybe did the same thing.

LISA MILLAR: But James Salt says the resignation of Archbishop Keith O'Brien changes everything.

JAMES SALT: It certainly creates a precedent that cardinals can in good conscience recuse themselves if they face a grave impediment like Cardinal O'Brien has experienced. Cardinal Mahony's scandal is worse in many instances because it involved children and it involved innocent people who lives have been in many ways touched forever.

LISA MILLAR: Their hope is that this marks not only the election of a new pope, but a new era for a Church hurt by scandal.

Lisa Millar, Lateline.