A leading Catholic lawyer and commentator has slammed the Pope for publicly shaming Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony over clerical child abuse whilst treating Irish Cardinal Sean Brady in an entirely different matter.
Harvard educated Jerry Slevin has aired his views in a hard hitting article published on the popular website ChristianCatholicism.com.
He claims that Cardinal Mahony could be criminally prosecuted after he was ‘publicly shamed’ by Pope Benedict XVI and removed from public life last week.
And he demands to know how the LA Cardinal has been treated so differently to his Irish counterpart.
Slevin writes; “The Pope’s pawn, Archbishop Gomez, publicly referred to Mahony’s child abuse cover-up conduct as evil.
“This unprecedented and selective public papal condemnation, in my view as an experienced retired lawyer, significantly increases the risk for Mahony that he will yet still be criminally prosecuted, possibly for obstruction of justice or perjury.
“Prosecutors now have a papal blessing to go after Mahony. Yet the Pope has also just permitted Ireland’s voting Cardinal Brady to exit gracefully, without papal condemnation.
“Brady was reportedly involved in priest abuse cover-ups at least as evil as Mahony. Why the different treatment for two Cardinals?”
Slevin added: “The likeliest explanation is current papal election politics.
“Conservative Cardinals in the Vatican clique, including American ones like Burke, Law, Stafford and Rigali, and their right-wing U.S. Republican contributors, have for years targeted Mahony, often an ally of U.S. Democratic political leaders, as an obstacle to the Vatican clique’s efforts to maintain Vatican domination of the Catholic Church worldwide, through groups like Opus Dei that Gomez and convicted criminal Bishop Finn are members of.
“Brady, on the other hand, supports domination by the Vatican clique, as evidenced by his acquiescence in the current unchallenged attack on one of Brady’s most popular priests, Fr. Tony Flannery, by the Pope’s new German Inquisitor.
“Flannery’s brother is a top ally to Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who has strongly opposed papal domination in Ireland.
“The signal is clear. The Vatican is prepared, it appears, to use selectively the criminal prosecution risks inherent in the worldwide abuse scandal to intimidate voting Cardinals who oppose the current Vatican clique’s candidate to be next Pope.
“Since most Cardinals likely have been involved in some cover-up activity, this election blackmail is a significant threat. It also is a compelling reason for Cardinals to call now for a worldwide conference as explained at: http://wp.me/P2YEZ3-gW.”
In his article, Slevin argues strongly that the issue of child abuse should not become part of any power struggle within the Church hierarchy.
He added: “Children in the USA cannot be used as leverage in a papal election. The Pope and local political leaders and prosecutors have repeatedly failed to curtail effectively priest sexual abuse of children.
“The President has the clout needed to curtail this abuse and he must now step-up and use it. A petition has been opened for signatures asking President Obama to set up a national investigation commission into the sexual abuse of children by priests, rabbis, ministers and other religious leaders.
“Already many have begun to sign it, including abuse survivors and their supporters. Please take 30 seconds to sign it no matter where in the world you live. This is a worldwide epidemic. Just click on the below link at Change.org.
“Believing parents and innocent children have too often been betrayed by religious leaders they trusted too much.
“The obscene revelations of child sexual abuse from Boston, Philly, Milwaukee, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Manchester, Salt Lake City and many other U.S. cities confirm this cancer cannot be curtailed effectively by local political leaders and prosecutors.
“They seem frequently incapable and/or unwilling to apply or amend a hodgepot of inconsistent laws, often outdated and inadequate, to powerful religious organizations.”
Slevin’s full article can be read at ChristianCatholicism.com.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.McNamara31 | Feb 13, 2013, 10:14 AM EST
There is "no way" the Cardinals in America or Ireland operated independently when it came to handling abuse cases.The Vatican was aware for decades and orchestrated the treatment of abusing priests by Father Gerald Fitzgerald founder of the Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete who made the bishops and the Vatican including Pope John Paul aware that these predators priests could NOT be reformed, and should be removed from the priesthood.His requests were ignored and the abuse continued.
bveritas | Feb 07, 2013, 12:52 AM EST
Obviously you can not refrain from projecting your childish world view of a political spectrum in religion. Mahoney is being disowned for more than his crimes against humanity regarding pedophilia but also his crimes against humanity in shielding theologians who advocate abortion, much like the crimes against humanity American Democratic Party that treats the crushing of baby skulls as a religious sacrament.
Gearoid4 | Feb 06, 2013, 01:57 PM EST
Norm, I can see events 20/20 and recognize the terrible nature of transgressions which have been committed by members of the Church. There should be no toleration or hiding place for those who commit or indeed cover up for such deeds. My main point is that when crises are encountered at various points in Church History, a period of purgation ensues which leads to reorientation back to the goals which Christ set for the Church.
pilib04 | Feb 06, 2013, 09:58 AM EST
Cardinal Mahoney should be criminally prosecuted! Not sure I see what the problem is. A man (Mahoney) who hides and protects Child RAPISTS should be in PRISON!
eiriamach | Feb 06, 2013, 09:01 AM EST
It's very unlikely that Obama, who has taught constitutional law, will interfere in any way with the "absolute wall of separation" between church and state. But Slevin's work is having an impact through the usual democratic channels -- riveting the attention of the press on Mahony's finagling and alerting law enforcement and the courts to the need to pay closer attention to the strategies of bishops for avoiding prosecution and bad PR. It's simple: the people need to know, and the press has a duty to inform. And there's enough information out there to generate nearly universal disgust and a determination to put an end to the sexual abuse and the coverups. I don't know what the author of this article means in writing "He claims that Cardinal Mahony could be criminally prosecuted after he was ‘publicly shamed’ by Pope Benedict XVI and removed from public life last week." Mahony can be criminally prosecuted right now, and he probably will be! If he's not prosecuted, we'll hear more outcries against the Church that is protecting him, and louder outcries until the courts and police get their priorities right.
WoundedKnee | Feb 06, 2013, 03:39 AM EST
"Harvard educated".... What the hell difference does that make, Counihan?
anglo-norman | Feb 06, 2013, 12:34 AM EST
Gearoid4- Are you that blind???
Collette2 | Feb 05, 2013, 08:19 PM EST
This corrupt institution is making a laughing stock of us all. Not worthy of title The Holy See. Even a rubbish dump has more value.
SCVMalcolm | Feb 05, 2013, 07:55 PM EST
Oh for Pete's sake! When Cardinal Law was being investigated for his role in saving the pedophile priests of the Diocese of Boston, he was whisked off to Rome(where he still resides), and given protection from prosecution. All this done by JPII, when Benny was pulling the strings of control. I guess there's no room at the Pedophiles' Assistance Home in the Vatican any more! Is the House of cards tumbling??
Smyrnian | Feb 05, 2013, 06:21 PM EST
Gearoid - well said indeed.
Gearoid4 | Feb 05, 2013, 05:56 PM EST
Well, not exactly norm. You see the Holy Spirit will usher in the renewal as promised by Christ. Corruption and greed are not restricted to Church personnel but has been present across all sectors of society since time immemorial. This is no excuse for the scandals which have beset the Church recently and profound corrective action is necessary based on the principles of the Gospel. The current pope is taking a lead in this matter and new appointees to Church hierarchies across the world is a demonstration of his intention to break with practices or attitudes which led to the crises in the first place. He is determined that the Church will be reinvigorated in total accordance with the wishes of Christ. He had done more than any of his predecessors to take on the plague of sex abuse within the ranks of the Church and will continue to do so.
anglo-norman | Feb 05, 2013, 05:27 PM EST
Gearoid4- Your church is a sham son..
Gearoid4 | Feb 05, 2013, 05:06 PM EST
The evil of child abuse is horrific and the reality of abortion is no less which involves the destruction of nascent human lives in the womb. Those who question the humanity of fetuses should read the testimony of abortion workers or doctors who vividly describe their reflex reactions to the instruments that will dismember them. Most abortions do not take place for emergency medical or "crisis" reasons but due to the child in the womb becoming an inconvenience.
Gearoid4 | Feb 05, 2013, 04:55 PM EST
Cool it, Norm
eiriamach | Feb 05, 2013, 04:54 PM EST
This is not Catholic Church bashing. It's news that the public needs to know since the public has endured loss of safety for children while prelates and priests have organized over decades to evade criminal prosecution for horrendous crimes against youth in every nation that has Catholic churches. Do the Irish men and women who protested, at the bidding of their bishops, against their government's efforts to save the lives of women in crisis pregnancies KNOW that the same Catholic Church has declared in a US court of law that 28-week-developed fetal twins were not "persons" and therefore not qualified for court protection? In a malpractice suit, Jeremy Stodghill is suing the Colorado Catholic hospital where his pregnant wife, carrying twins, died as a result of medical mismanagement. Her twins were viable and should have survived. The Catholic hospital, however, had its lawyers arguing that the hospital cannot be legally liable for the twins' deaths because, in NY Times writer Frank Bruni's words, "wrongful death can apply only to people and, legally speaking, fetuses aren’t human lives." If this is the Church for which you took to the streets to protest your government's attempts to save the lives of pregnant women in emergencies by severely limited access to abortion, wake up!
anglo-norman | Feb 05, 2013, 04:34 PM EST
Gearoid4-Grow Up son..
Gearoid4 | Feb 05, 2013, 03:42 PM EST
It seems that IC is involved in it's unremitting crusade against the Church by typically supporting the biased interpretations of an activist from the left without taking into consideration the nuances of the stories involved.
Gearoid4 | Feb 05, 2013, 03:39 PM EST
Cardinal Sean Brady was not willingly involved in a widespread conspiracy to deviously cover up the suspected or true evil deeds of clerical offenders but rather has paid the price for his naivety in being involved in a cumbersome internal Church practice during the seventies which committed victims to a vow of silence after giving testimony to priestly interviewers. Fr Brady, as he was then in 1975 was appointed by his bishop in an Irish diocese to interview the young victims of a notorious clerical sex-abuser. Unfortunately as both interviewer and interviewees could not divulge what they discussed, the information that could have saved other victims was not passed on to the priest. This has come back to haunt the now Cardinal Brady and he has suffered anguish over that fateful incident. Consequently he is now preparing himself for a handing over of his position eventually within the next year or two to his newly appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh, Monsignor Eamonn Martin of Derry. In contrast, Archbishop Gomez of the US Archdiocese of LA took decisive action to stand down his predecessor Cardinal Mahony from his duties after discovering the direct part that he played in covering up the crimes of pedophile priests and misleading the relevant authorities. The differences in the two cases lies in the degree of culpability and the intentions of the two prelates involved in the two stories. But Mr Slevin does not seem to appreciate this but rather seems to be deliberately ignoring these realities.
Dompedro | Feb 05, 2013, 01:37 PM EST
So Slevin's petitioners want the President of the United States to do the bidding of people "no matter where in the world you live" .... and he wants Eric Holder to prosecute the cases?
Nicomax | Feb 05, 2013, 12:45 PM EST
Part of the difference is that for all US history, civil law trumped religious law, not always the case in Ireland. But it may be true that Mahoney being more politically liberal than Boston's Cardinal Law, and others like him, has been hung out to fry.
PhlutiePhan | Feb 05, 2013, 12:36 PM EST
@paddyh1: Cardinal John O'Connor took proof of sex abuse among the clergy in Albany to JPII. JPII looked athe documents and stated that "there was nothing that he could do". The priest who "ratted out" Bishop Hubbard then committed suicide or was murdered (Minkler). Bishops of a diocese are equal in authority to the pope. He cannot interfere in their diocese. It is up to the Apostolic Delegate to pass on information for the screening of proper and orthodox bishops. Bernardin and Mahony were not orthodox and were rigidly entrenched.
bunkerisland | Feb 05, 2013, 12:24 PM EST
Drawing any similarity between police ignoring drunk driving and the Catholic church ignoring sexual abuse of children is not unlike the homeowner ignoring the fly in the kitchen while the church ignores sexual abuse of children. Ignorance is no excuse and denial, covering up and threatening the victim hardly equates with drunk driving being ignored.
oonafitz | Feb 05, 2013, 09:57 AM EST
When the scandals broke here in Boston, some hoped that the priests would try to clean up the church, and or even break away. Many of us would have followed. Then came the closing of successful, financially stable parishes. I believe a revolt is necessary by parishioners and clergy alike to go back to the basic principles the church was founded on. Unfortunately, that would probably leave the leadership sitting in Rome amid their obscene riches and lavish lifestyle. The entire hierarchy is corrupt and politically motivated, preaching the commandments to us while turning a blind eye to abuse on so many levels, collecting vast amounts of money from low and middle class people who can ill afford it, when the sale of one of their paintings each year would probably raise the same amount.
paddyh1 | Feb 05, 2013, 09:54 AM EST
While I support a married clergy, I don't know if it would necessarily cut down the abuse of children. A married priest who has the ability to have sex and the availability of their partner is probably, usually not the same person who is attracted to having sex with children. One of the real tragedies of this whole situation is that John Paul II and Benedict XVI both had full knowledge these happenings and did little or nothing to prevent it. This is the same John Paul that many are pushing to be a saint??? And as a cardinal Benedict was the head man for discipline in these matters??
McNamara31 | Feb 05, 2013, 09:23 AM EST
Last night HBO aired "Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God" which chronicles abuse cases within the church, from the time of Fr. Murphy who molested 100's of deaf boys in a school for the deaf in the 1970's, through the abuse in Boston in 2002, and on to present day Ireland. The heartbreaking side of the abuse of the deaf boys by Murphy, was he targeted boys whose parents "could not understand sign language" knowing the boys could never communicate that they were being abused. The glaringly clear point and facts of this documentary, were that this Pope and Pope John Paul were completely aware of the magnitude of abuse, and that Benedict in his prior capacity was given every single report of childhood abuse by a priest worldwide. These men have destroyed our church and the lives of countless innocent children. We must come to the realization, a church is its people, and not a corrupt group who chose to protect criminals and image rather than do what was the right thing before God and man.I don't know what the answers will be. One would hope a new Pope would right the generations of wrong by the Roman Catholic Church or possibly we should look to our Orthodox Christian roots who always maintained a married priesthood and beliefs closer to Christs message than the one which became "distorted by the Roman way" which worshiped image and power more than the lives of children.I'm like the majority of Catholic parents, left devastated by the "facts" and wondering, what to do next? I want to raise my children with faith, but can only look at the Vatican with utter disgust and anger.
Bill Doherty | Feb 05, 2013, 09:22 AM EST
The guilt of abuse can not be denied, but the broad brush of guilt on the church is wrong. The political slant is obvious, are you as motivated about other religions such as the Muslim's who attack women's rights seems like you turn away from these issues.
Seanmor | Feb 05, 2013, 09:05 AM EST
Church leaders who ignored priestly abus of schoolboys and teenagers prior to the '90s in the U.S. reminds one of a similar 'policy' of law-enforcement officials toward drunken drivers. Many a driver unnder the influence was let go by police officers and those arrested were often given a 'slap on the wrist'.