Supporters for victims of church abuse have actually struck out after it emerged a disgraced U.S. cardinal is to assist close and seal Pope Francis’ coffin ahead of his funeral Saturday.
Cardinal Roger Mahony, 89, was chosen by the Workplace for the Liturgical Events to be among 9 clergymen to be present at the ritualistic Rite of Sealing of the Casket on Friday in St Peter’s Basilica. Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011, will likewise manage the pope’s interment at Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major following the service in St. Peter’s Square this weekend, the Vatican revealed.
The cardinal was removed of his administrative and public tasks with instant impact in January 2013 by his follower, Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez, after he was implicated of protecting priests involved in a kid sex abuse scandal in between the 1980s and 1990s to safeguard the Catholic Church.
Making the statement in 2013, Gomez stated Mahony had actually “revealed his grief for his failure to completely safeguard youths delegated to his care”.
Nevertheless Mahony, who is amongst the earliest and longest-serving primary priests in the College of Cardinals, rejected any misbehavior and weeks after his elimination Gomez preserved that he stayed a “priest in great standing” with the Catholic Church.
The Los Angeles archdiocese stated on Thursday that Gomez’s very first declaration had actually been “misinterpreted” at the time.
” We are blessed to have Cardinal Mahony represent our Archdiocese in Rome for the funeral service of our Holy Dad,” stated the declaration. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni included that the cardinals associated with the event were identified by their length of period.
Those supporting the survivors of clergy abuse have actually slammed the Vatican’s choice to choose the cardinal for the ritualistic honor.
” Embarassment on him for taking part in the general public rites for Pope Francis, and embarassment on the College of Cardinals for permitting him to do so,” Anne Barrett Doyle of the group Bishop Responsibility, which has actually tracked Catholic clergy abuse for years, informed Reuters
Mahony took a trip to the Vatican today to pay his last aspects to the late pontiff, who died on Monday, who suffered a stroke and cardiac arrest a day after appearing at Easter Sunday mass in St Peter’s Square.
The cardinal stated that though he didn’t understand Francis effectively before he was chosen pope, they had actually ended up being better recently and would compose to each other frequently.
” He motivated us to compose to him,” Mahony informed ABC 7 Eyewitness News. “I have– I do not understand the last number– over 30 letters back from the pope, Pope Francis.”
In 2013, the release of Church files associated to a suit recommended Mahony and another authorities had actually protected a number of implicated priests in the 1980s by sending them for treatment to psychiatrists called friendly to the Church.
Mahony asked forgiveness after the release of the files “for my own failure to safeguard completely the kids and youth delegated into my care.” However he stated lots of Catholic authorities did not comprehend how to deal with clergy thought of abuse at the time.
The Los Angeles Archdiocese paid over $660 million to settle clergy abuse declares versus 508 victims throughout Mahony’s period. The LA archdiocese has actually paid over $1.5 billion in overall to more than 1,300 victims in different settlements.