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It's Time to Share the Truth, Cardinal By Colleen Cason ccason@VenturaCountyStar.com Ventury County Star [California] April 21, 2006 http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/coleen_cason/article/0,1375,VCS_221_4639809,00.html Cardinal Roger Mahony apparently failed to read his employer's handbook. It's right there in Chapters 26 and 27 — of the Book of Matthew. "For nothing is covered that shall not be
This warning on the inevitability of full disclosure was attributed to the founder of the multinational organization where Mahony works. And when Jesus says anything, Mahony might want to make it part of his mission statement. revealed: nor hid, that shall not be known." But for years, the leader of the Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles — which extends to Ventura County — has been waging a legal fight to keep from giving prosecutors correspondence between himself and two priests accused of sexually abusing children. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office had issued subpoenas for these documents and wants them turned over to the grand jury. Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take sides, letting stand a state appellate court decision allowing the DA access to the documents. Mahony had argued unsuccessfully that these files are protected from disclosure by the priest-penitent relationship, similar to the attorney-client and the doctor-patient privilege. No other Catholic bishop in the nation has tried this tact, and all have handed over documents to investigators. When standing alone — "High-Noon"-style — on an issue, it's always a good idea to discern motive. Is it because he is the only one with enough backbone to do the right thing? Or is he going it alone because he's doing it out of self-interest? In 2004, he promised the faithful full disclosure of all sexual-abuse cases in "Report to the People of God." By comparing the archdiocese's own documents, the Los Angeles Times reported April 14 that the report understated the accusations against four fathers. In addition, it omitted accounts of seven other clergyman allowed to stay in parishes after the cardinal or his aides knew there were complaints of sexual misconduct against them. In the interest of full disclosure, I converted to Catholicism during this scandal. Some of you might think that lessens my credibility, and so be it. But while the faith spoke to me then and continues to enrich my life, I know that human beings make terrible mistakes. Among the worst of these is trying to paper over our failings. Even if Mahony fails at times to learn from the teachings of Jesus, he should at least glean a few lessons from the life of Richard Nixon: It's the cover-up that gets you every time. Mahony is front and center these days on another important issue. He is trying to hold the high ground in the debate over immigration reform in this country. He has come out in opposition to a provision in a U.S. House of Representatives bill that would make it a criminal offense to aid anyone in the country illegally. He's basically using the "what would Jesus do?" argument. But I recently learned a lesson about full disclosure I would like to share. I covered a mission to Mexico by four dozen members of the Newbury Park First Christian Church. These volunteers, like many others from Ventura County religious and service organizations, build homes for the poor. They have to want to do that in the worse way. By night, the Newbury Park group camped in a pasture with no running toilets, no showers, no blow dryers. By day, they sweated in the sun and found their clothes covered in cement and stucco. They acted human and capable of weakness. They expressed frustration and exasperation. They showed fatigue and even annoyance. They also accomplished so much. At the end of four days, they had given three needy families homes that would stand up to the elements. When I cover a story I am almost invariably asked by someone, "What is your spin on this story?" Or am told, "Don't put that in the paper." Or. "Get away from here." Not one person said any of those things. They opened their lives to photographer Juan Carlo and me. They knew they had nothing to hide. Because the truth is, a person never looks better than when he is doing good. — E-mail this columnist at ccason@VenturaCountyStar.com. Phone her at 655-5830. |
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