NEWS
2002 NEWS STORIES
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ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
Contents © 2002
by Jim Holman.
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NEWS
JUNE 2002
MAHONY IN THE AVANT-GARDE? Despite the publicity surrounding the Los Angeles archdiocese's inadequate response to the cases of molestation of children and youth by priests, Cardinal Roger Mahony has been marketing his sexual abuse policies as among the most progressive in the nation. The archdiocese implemented these policies in December, by court order, in a $5.2 million settlement with alleged victims of Monsignor Michael Harris, known as "Father Hollywood." (See "Inflammatory and Outrageous," January 2002 Mission.) Cardinal Mahony, though, claims the archdiocese already had similar policies on the drawing board. According to an April 28 Los Angeles Times report, the archdiocese claimed that the court-ordered policies "only enhanced existing policies or jump-started additions already under discussion." Even the hotline, on which anonymous callers could report cases of molestation, "was part of our plan already," according to Mahony. "We had already proposed the hotline before that settlement agreement came out."
In an April 26 "press event," reported on by the archdiocesan newspaper, The Tidings, Mahony said that "zero tolerance" of sexual molesters is the policy of the archdiocese of Los Angeles. After citing Pope John Paul II 's statement at his April meeting with U.S. cardinals -- "People need to know that there is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the young" -- Cardinal Mahony said, "to me, it can't be any more clear than that. If we say the protection of our youth is our number one priority, then zero tolerance is the only answer toward sexual abuse. There are no ifs, ands or buts." The archdiocese, said Mahony, would not back away from zero tolerance. "It is my goal and hope that all dioceses in the United States would have a similar policy," he said.
In his February 2002 pastoral letter, "I Will Appoint Over You Shepherds After My Own Heart," Mahony said that the archdiocese has had a zero tolerance policy in place since 1988. At the "press event," the cardinal told reporters that he had been pushing for it "for a long time." Mahony believes that what the American Church (and, presumably, its most progressive archdiocese, Los Angeles) is doing will be an example to the rest of the world. In Rome, said Mahony, "we made it clear that this is not just an American problem, and that we hope that the church will apply what we do in America worldwide."
Among the things Mahony will do is broaden the nine-member archdiocesan sexual misconduct board to include 15 members -- 12 laymen and three clerics. The board will have two judges conversant with sexual abuse issues, two parents of children abused by priests as well as a victim of such abuse. According to Mahony, the board "will have new authority to form, implement and review archdiocesan sexual abuse policies. The board's decisions will be final."
IN AN APRIL 22 NEWS COMMENTARY, Los Angeles Times religion writer Larry Stammer noted that in early April, when asked to comment on the future of Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, Cardinal Mahony "said he would find it difficult to walk down an aisle in church if he had been guilty of gross negligence" in regards to sexual abuse of minors by priests. Yet, evidence has continued to mount that Mahony has not exercised due care and vigilance in dealing with abusive priests.
First, the leaked e-mail messages from the chancery office revealed that some abusive priests whom the archdiocese claimed were removed from parish ministry were actually assisting and resident in parishes. (See "I Don't Even Know What the Numbers Are Myself," May 2002 Mission.) Then there was the case of Father Michael Wempe, accused of molesting youth, whom the cardinal assigned to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as a chaplain without informing hospital authorities of his past. In this case, Mahony claimed ignorance. He said the New Mexico treatment center, to which Wempe had been sent, had told him that the priest could safely serve in a capacity where he had no access to children -- in a prison, for instance, or a hospital. Mahony said he had no idea that Cedars-Sinai had a pediatrics unit -- even though such units are common in hospitals.
Then, only a few days after his April 26 "Press Event," allegations of archdiocesan neglect surrounding the case of Father Carl Sutphin surfaced. According to the Los Angeles Times, on Monday, April 30, two lawsuits were filed in Los Angeles County superior court on behalf of two sets of brothers who alleged that Father Sutphin had molested them in the 1960s and 70s. The lawsuit asserts that Mahony neglected to remove Father Sutphin from the ministry in the 1990s after the cardinal had promised to do so.
The cardinal, according the Times, admitted to having known of the allegations against Sutphin. Mahony said he had sent Sutphin to undergo psychological treatment years ago. "It was one of those cases," said Mahony, "where I felt he had followed the treatment program successfully, honestly, and was rehabilitated to the extent anyone can be rehabilitated." Following Sutphin's treatment, the cardinal placed him in a retirement home, and then transferred him to the cardinal's residence at St. Vibiana's cathedral. According to archdiocesan records, last March Sutphin was assigned to the new cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels as associate pastor. Mahony finally removed Sutphin from active ministry this year, only a few months before his retirement.
Attorney Jeffrey Anderson, who represents the two sets of brothers, is seeking to sue Mahony under RICO (Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations) laws. "The evidence directly establishes that Cardinal Mahony as the head of the church in Los Angeles has engaged in a pattern of concealment, deception, obstruction of judicial process and the protection of pedophile priests and he's been doing that for years," said Anderson. "The RICO laws are designed to get to the top of criminal organizations if they [church officials] act like mobsters and organized crime, we just have to hold them responsible."
In 1998, Anderson represented John and James Howard in a case against the diocese of Stockton. In this case, the brothers accused the then bishop of Stockton, Roger Mahony, of allowing Father Oliver O'Grady to continue to work in parishes, even though he knew O'Grady was a molester. The Howards, who claimed they had been molested by O'Grady for over ten years, won their case against the diocese of Stockton. (See, in the Mission, "News," April 2002; "A Severe Defect," July/August 1998; and "News," September 1998.)
IN HIS APRIL 26 "PRESS EVENT," Cardinal Mahony denied any linkage between the reportedly large number of homosexuals in the priesthood and molestation of youth. He said that while some have tried to draw a link between sexual orientation and sexually abusive behavior, the most current research indicates this is a pointless argument. "In California," said Mahony, "the most recent studies indicate that 80 percent of child abuse occurs in families with married people. To say that it's mostly homosexual behavior that causes abuse is off the mark."
Cardinal Mahony, it appears, will not address the problem of homosexuals in the seminary. According to The Tidings, Mahony said "the most important issue in seminary formation is not a person's sexual orientation. 'We want priests who are well-balanced and mature in their sexuality, who can live chaste, celibate lives,' he said."
A SAFEGUARD TO CHEAP AND EASY ABORTION. Citing concerns that the United States Supreme Court will someday overturn Roe vs. Wade, California state Senator Shelia Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) is carrying a bill, the Reproductive Privacy Act, that will replace the state's 1967 Therapeutic Abortion Act. The 1967 act legalized abortion in California in cases where the physical or mental health of a mother was deemed in jeopardy, or where a pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. The 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade, made the 1967 law obsolete; but if Roe vs Wade were overturned, the state law would again govern abortion procedure by the 1967 law. The Reproductive Privacy Act would assure abortion on demand in Califorina, irregardless of the status of Roe vs. Wade.
Claudia Wrazell, legal counsel for the senate judiciary committee, said, "this is a clean-up bill. It cleans up areas in the law that are no longer applicable. It also recasts the tone and approach to abortion. Instead of citing what are the illegalities [in performing abortions], it focuses in on the right to privacy. Also it will allow non-physicians, who are qualified, to administer RU-486. It helps to keep up with the technology."
In its own language, the bill would provide "that the state shall not deny or interfere with a woman's fundamental right to choose to bear a child or obtain an abortion prior to viability of the fetus, as defined, or when necessary to protect her life or health. The bill would specify the circumstances under which the performance of an abortion is deemed unauthorized." According to Bob Graham, of the senate judiciary committee, the bill's current form is merely a formality. "It's in this form to get it out of the senate quickly," he said. Graham said that the bill would be reworked in the assembly. "It's going to be a big, big story," he said.
Randy Thomasson, executive director of the Campaign for California Families, said that the bill's provision that would allow non physicians to administer RU-486 and other non-surgical abortion methods is an attempt to replace aging abortionists. "As the number of abortionists are diminishing, this is a way to recruit more abortionists," he said.
Daryl Thomas, legislative assistant to California Senator Ray Haynes (R-Riverside), said that the senator had opposed the bill in the judiciary committee. "It's simply propaganda," Thomas said of the bill. "There is no danger to abortion in this state." Thomas noted that Haynes was very concerned about the provision in the bill which will allow a non-physician to administer abortifacients, "At the very least, abortion should be safe," said Thomas.
Carol Hogan of the California Catholic Conference said that the California bishops are very concerned about the bill, especially the provision which will allow non-physicians to perform chemical abortions. Hogan said that another concern is that the bill may open up many other issues, such as forcing a physician to perform an abortion. The bill states that the state cannot "deny or interfere with a woman's right to choose an abortion."
Over 50 pro-abortion groups were listed as supporting the bill; Planned Parenthood is listed as the source of the bill. At the end of the analysis, Kuehl's real concern is evident: "we have an anti-choice President, an anti-choice Congress, and a Supreme Court that's one vote away from overturning Roe vs. Wade. Now is the time to protect our right to choose -- right here in California. SB 1301 would keep abortion safe and legal in California even if the Supreme Court overturns Roe."
Senator Kuehl's office did not return calls for comment.
SAYING THAT HE IS RESPONDING to the pedophile priest crisis in the Catholic Church, state senator John Burton (D-San Francisco) has gutted a senate bill originally carried by California state senator Martha Escutia (D-Montebello).
According to a press release from Burton's office, the new bill, SB 1779, will allow plaintiffs to sue third parties who knowingly allowed child abuse to occur and did nothing to stop it. The bill "makes organizations who knew an employee was sexually abusing kids and did nothing about it liable for the damages they caused and it puts these organizations on notice they better take steps to prevent any future abuse," Burton said. Additionally, the statute of limitations would be extended so that suits could be filed. "Such a lawsuit must be filed within three years from the date an abuse victim discovers or reasonably should have discovered that psychological injury or illness occurring after the age of 18 was caused by childhood abuse. Current law prohibits such suits after a victim turns 26." Dave Sebeck, press secretary for Burton said an example would be a 37-year-old man who had been molested by his Little League coach when he was 12. "He went on, got married and had kids. Now his son is 12 and is in Little League and the whole thing comes back. Under existing law he has no recourse." Sebeck said that Burton's bill would give victims a way of getting recourse against those who harbored their abusers.
Burton was quoted in the May 8 issue of the Los Angeles Times as saying that the legislation is aimed "at deep pocket defendants such as the Catholic Church." Sebeck admitted that the bill was prompted by calls to Burton's office by victims who had been molested by Catholic priests years ago. Sebeck, though, added that the legislation concerns any third party who is involved with children -- "Little League, the Boy Scouts and, yes, the Catholic Church. Does the bill specially say the Catholic Church, no".
While no group is on record as opposing the bill, there are some concerns about its effect on the Catholic Church. Carol Hogan of the California Conference of Catholic Bishops said that the conference would be working with legislators regarding the bill. Hogan said that she was not surprised that the original bill had been gutted and replaced with Burton's language. "John Burton does what John Burton does," she said. She added that, in the past, Burton has used a bill that "was languishing" to further his own legislation.
The bill cleared the senate judiciary committee on May 7 and will go to the full Senate "within the next couple of weeks," said Sebeck. The bill is supported by a variety of child abuse prevention groups, including SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.)
SECESSION WILL NOT HELP THE POOR AND DISENFRANCHISED, said a panel of top Los Angeles area religious leaders, according to an April 23 Los Angeles Times report. Three proposals to break up the city of Los Angeles are up before the Local Agency Formation Commission. If the commission approves the proposals, the November ballot may carry measures for the secession of the San Fernando Valley, North Hollywood, and the harbor area from the city of Los Angeles.
The Council of Religious Leaders of Great Los Angeles, however, thinks that secession would not help the poor both in Los Angeles and in the seceding communities. The council, which is made up of leaders of various religions, including Cardinal Roger Mahony, undertook a study of the secession proposals at the prompting of the cardinal a year ago. In their report, issued Monday, April 22, the council concluded that "there is no evidence that the poor and disenfranchised of the new cities and of the remaining city will be better off after secession." Still, said the council, the proponents of secession have "legitimate" grievances against the city of Los Angeles.
Richard Close of Valley VOTE, a pro-secession group, disagrees that secession will hurt the poor. A new valley city, he said, would seek funds for the poor more aggressively than the city of Los Angeles currently does.
Los Angeles archdiocesan spokesman Tod Tamberg told the Times that the archdiocese will probably take no further action until secession measures appear on the ballot in November. "Once that happens, we assess the appropriate next step," he said.
A NEW COMMITTEE will aid the Holy See's Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments in translating liturgical texts from Latin into English, according to an April 26 Zenit news report. In encouraging the work of the committee, called Vox Clara (Clear Voice), Pope John Paul II said that it must carry out its work "in accordance with the norms of the instruction, Liturgiam Authenticam." The instruction was published by the Holy See in March 2001.
At Vox Clara's first working session on April 21, the pope encouraged "the pastors of the Church" to take on "the important task of making available to the faithful, as quickly as possible, the vernacular translations of the editio tertia of the Missale Romanum." On Tuesday, April 24, the committee itself, in a press statement, affirmed "the absolute need for translations of the Roman editiones typicæ which are precise, theologically faithful, and effectively proclaimable." The committee commended the work of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), which has produced most of the English translations of the liturgy since Vatican II. Yet, the committee noted that "ICEL now faces a major challenge to renew its statutes and structures in the light of the instruction Liturgiam Authenticam to send an unmistakable signal that the goal of achieving good liturgical translations is in sight."
Currently, Vox Clara is reviewing the translation of certain parts of the order of Mass, as well as working up a ratio translationis (rule of translation), which it will review in November.
THE DIOCESE OF SAN BERNARDINO on April 25 submitted 22 allegations of sexual misconduct with youth involving 20 priests to the San Bernardino police department, according to a May 4 Los Angeles Times report. Though the diocese was formed in 1978, the allegations address molestation in parishes within the current diocesan boundaries in the period 1957 to 1995. Of the 20 priests accused, four were in active ministry at the time of the diocese's disclosure. Two of these priests were retired, but were helping out in parishes, while the other two, Father Peter Covas of St. Peter and St. Paul church in Rancho Cucamonga, and Monsignor Peter Luque of St. Edward's in Corona, were in full-time ministry. The diocese has placed Monsignor Luque and the two retired priests on leave of absence; Father Covas, though due to retire in two months, has resigned.
According to the Times, some parishioners at St. Peter and St. Paul do not believe the allegations against Father Covas. Don Geaga, the director of the Filipino choir at the parish, told the Times of a May 4 service where parishioners would "storm heaven with a lot of prayers" so that Covas would "be exonerated. He is a man of God," said Geaga. "He will be vindicated."
THOUGH THE SAN BERNARDINO diocese has had, since 1993, a zero tolerance policy regarding sexual abuse of minors by priests and diocesan employees, Bishop Gerald Barnes, on Thursday, May 2, announced new reforms to prevent sexual molestation, according to a May 3 Los Angeles Times report. "As a diocese we're taking new initiatives and strengthening existing ones," said Bishop Barnes. The new policies include the mandatory fingerprinting of priests, deacons, sisters and lay men who work or will work with children, and a prohibition against confidential settlements with victims of molestation. This last policy, said diocesan spokesman, Father Howard Lincoln, would be retroactive. Since its founding in 1978, the diocese of San Bernardino has paid out $350,000 in such settlements, according to the Times.
IF ONE NEEDED FURTHER EVIDENCE that the call for married priests in the Latin Church is a wedge issue for the ordination of women (and for a reevaluation of Catholic sexual ethics), the National Catholic Reporter has come out and said as much. The Reporter, long in the forefront of modernism, is inviting correspondents from all over the world to help create a "Blueprint for Vatican III." The editors of the Reporter, said the May 3 cover story, undertook the Blueprint project because they "believed there was a compelling need to gather the people of God around their shared views as we look to the future. With the clergy culture and hierarchy in disarray, there is a growing yearning for shared leadership and vision." The Blueprint, the editors admit, "is not the final answer, and the fact that it is not a final outline is not the point. This Blueprint hopes to jumpstart the imagination of the church and promote a global conversation."
According to the Reporter, "the need to reform church governance was the primary focus of the Blueprint respondents. As will be seen, ordination and human sexuality issues were major topics. Immediately opening ordination to married men was seen as essential, en route to ordaining women, because of the general lack of availability worldwide of the Eucharist. (This was a constant point among the respondents.) Equally, practically every respondent mentioned at some point that the Catholic church has not dealt openly and realistically with human sexuality in the light of 21st-century understanding."