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On January 21st of this year I broke an exclusive story that a replacement had been chosen for Cardinal Mahony, and that the announcement would be made soon (”soon” can be a wonderfully vague term sometimes). I stood by that claim even after the Archdiocesan spokesman denied it.

Well, tomorrow the announcement will be made. I had believed there was a strong possibility that Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix would get the nod, but in the final hours, it appears very certain now that Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio, TX will be the next head of the largest Archdiocese in the United States.

Rocco’s report:

Echoing word given earlier today to Whispers by a church official informed of the decision, New Advent’s Kevin Knight cites unnamed sources to report tonight that, in his pontificate’s most significant move on these shores, Pope Benedict will name Jose Gomez, 58, archbishop of San Antonio since February 2005, as coadjutor-archbishop of Los Angeles.

In the process, the native of Mexico — the lone American bishop professed as a numerary (full member) of Opus Dei — will make history, becoming the first Hispanic prelate placed in line for a Stateside red hat.

And yes you read that right – Pope Benedict has chosen an Opus Dei archbishop to take over Cardinal Mahony’s legacy. Talk about exciting times. Felicitaciones!

I will be travelling tomorrow morning, so I’ll be posting my live updates on the impending appointment to AmP twitter.

My first take is that Abp. Gomez is an excellent choice for LA – according to Rocco, he served as an auxiliary bishop under Abp. Chaput (good sign), is a “low key, media-savvy theologian” (great traits), and has overseen a see of 850,000+ Catholics in San Antonio (needed experience).

And please God, I expect he’ll have something to say about the yearly liturgical travesty that is the Los Angeles Religious Education Conference.

If Cardinal Mahony was the symbol of the worst to come out of the Church in America during the 1970s, may Archbishop Gomez become the symbol of the new springtime of the Church in America brought about by the appointments of Pope Benedict.

My coverage of the impending announcement of Cardinal Roger Mahony’s successor is garnering some international attention, this from the German publication Der Spiegel:

Der Vatikan macht sich nun auch auf mögliche Konsequenzen für den kalifornischen Kardinal Mahony gefasst. Papst Benedikt XVI. habe bereits einen Nachfolger gewählt, meldet Thomas Peters, ein Blogger der katholischen Lobbygruppe Catholic Vote Action, im Januar. Er solle schon vor Mahonys geplantem Abtritt im Februar 2011 als Bischof eingesetzt werden. [Here's a rough Google translation of the pertinent section into English.]

Meanwhile, stateside, the Associated Press and Los Angeles Times have picked up on the news. And Tod Tamberg (the Archdiocese of LA’s spokesman), after dismissing my exclusive on the Mahony news back in January as “mere speculation”, has now confirmed that a “search is under way for a successor.”

Maybe I should choose a new tag line for AmP: “Converting speculation into confirmation.”

(No, this isn’t an offbeat post!)

Veteran Vatican-watcher and expert Church-in-America-analyst Rocco Palmo (who writes at Whispers in the Loggia) has contributed a lengthy post devoted to the rumor I first broke that a successor has been chosen for Cardinal Mahony following an expedited timeframe.

You can tell from the sheer depth and breath of Rocco’s reflections that he does this sort of research and reporting full time.

I’ll only excerpt a part of what he wrote, notably the section where, matching my discovery of his Facebook profile, Rocco points out Mahony also has a blog:

“…. while a putative version of the shortlist has made the rounds, given Benedict’s commitment to intense personal study of case-files and making his choices his own, especially for major assignments, all bets are genuinely off until the Apartment has spoken. As for what’s already on-record, Mahony let slip in a recent posting on his new blog that 2010 would be “my final full year” as head of his hometown fold, American Catholicism’s progressive seat and one of the global church’s most complex, energetic and diverse diocesan operations.”

That’s just a taste of what Rocco has to add. Do go read the rest if you are curious.

Photo: Maveric2003

From CNSNews.com’s Edwin Mora, an incredible video interview recorded yesterday:

AP:

FRESNO, Calif.�Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles is on the witness stand testifying in the case of two brothers who claim they were molested years ago by a priest at a San Joaquin Valley church.

Mahony was a high-level administrator in the Fresno diocese during some of the years George and Howard Santillan claim they were molested by Monsignor Anthony Herdegen at a church in Wasco, a small town north of Bakersfield.

… Mahony is now head of the nation’s largest Roman Catholic archdiocese. This marks only the second time he will take the witness stand to answer questions before jurors about alleged molestation by priests.

Anyone remember how the last time went? I was not following the news as closely back then.

I’m calling this a case of “unteaching”:

The bishops of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, led by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, issued a letter to homosexual Catholics on Friday seeking to ensure them that the Church�s support for Proposition 8 was not meant to diminish their dignity or their membership in the Church. The true aim of the Church�s support, the bishops write, was to �preserve the ordered relationship between man and woman created by God.�

The pastoral letter, which was printed in the archdiocesan paper The Tidings, is written to all homosexual members of the Church as well as the rest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. According to the bishops, its purpose is to offer reassurance to gays amidst the fallout surrounding Prop. 8�s success that they are �cherished members of the Catholic Church, and that we value you as equal and active members of the Body of Christ.� (CNA)

And has some, well, good things to say to them.

It’s a small encouragement to me. One of my friends is considering becoming a seminarian in LA.

Wonders never cease, and I’m glad they don’t.

Australian Bishop Geoffrey Robinson was recently condemned for “doctrinal difficulties” by the Australian Bishops Conference, and when Voice of the Faithful invited him to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to deliver a lecture, none other than Cardinal Mahony decided to step in:

Cardinal Roger Mahony has denied an Australian bishop permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles after the Australian Catholic Bishops� Conference issued a statement warning of �doctrinal difficulties� present in the bishop�s writings. (CNA)

How Cardinal Mahony handled it:

Archbishop of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony in a May 9 letter asked Bishop Robinson not to speak in his archdiocese.

Saying he was �once again� writing regarding Bishop Robinson�s scheduled June 12 speaking engagement in the archdiocese, Cardinal Mahony said, �Your letter informing me of your coming appearance made it clear that you were not seeking my permission or approval, that you were planning to come regardless.�

In his letter, Cardinal Mahony said he had recently learned of the Australian bishops� statement about the bishop�s book. He also said he had learned that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Prefect for the Congregation of Bishops, has urged Bishop Robinson to cancel his U.S. visit.

Cardinal Mahony requested Bishop Robinson to cancel his visit, citing Canon 763 of Canon Law. The canon pertains to a bishop�s duty to safeguard the teachings of the Church in his diocese.

�Under the provisions of Canon 763, I hereby deny you permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,� the cardinal wrote. He also urged Bishop Robinson to cancel his entire speaking tour and to work with the Australian bishops� conference, saying he would expect him to �follow exactly� their recommendations.

[update: here is a link with the original full text of the Cardinal's letter.]

Let’s ponder what this means: Cardinal Mahony has chosen to use his authority as a bishop under canon law to “safeguard the teachings of the Church in his diocese” when a dissenting bishop was invited to speak by a (dissenting) private Catholic group.

Even if the Cardinal was motivated by a fear that Bishop Robinson was being disrespectful of his authority, the bottom line is that Cardinal Mahony did the correct thing, and a brave one. He even managed to get on the bad side of Voice of the Faithful:

Dan Bartley, president of Voice of the Faithful, criticized Cardinal Mahony�s refusal of permission to Bishop Robinson�s Los Angeles lecture.

�Why is a loyal Catholic bishop prevented from asking honest questions in his search for the truth in the aftermath of the worst scandal in the modern Church?� Bartley said.

A statement from Voice of the Faithful said the ban would harm the Church, saying Bishop Robinson �obviously loves the Church.� The statement suggested that the Australian bishops� statement was questionable in its conclusions about Bishop Robinson�s doctrinal stands.

Bishop Robinson is also scheduled to speak in Seattle, San Diego and Boston. It is possible to predict situation where Cardinal Mahony will end up acting with greater integrity than Cardinal O’Malley.

AmP readers have previously criticized my coverage of Cardinal Mahony, saying that I am too harsh and never have anything good to say about him. However, the fact of the matter is that I’m only happy to say good things about him provided I think he has acted for the best interest of the Church – which he is solemnly charged to safeguard. Sadly, most of the stories that cross my desk have not been of this sort. But here is one of those (rare) occasions where I can praise a decision of this Cardinal’s.

What could account for this anomaly? It makes me think back to this post I wrote a few weeks ago, commenting upon an editorial that Cardinal Mahony published saying he was a “different disciple” after the pope’s visit. Specifically he said that he had gained a realization of his “own mistakes and failures over the years” and that these represented a “weight that I failed to realize was holding me down.”

At the time, I expressed my skepticism that such a realization might actually be the case, but I also said at the same time: “I dearly hope that Mahony’s change of heart is authentic and bears fruit through internal and external reform.” Well, The best sign of an internal change of heart is changed external action, and now we have one.

Time will tell, but let’s hope this wonder never ceases.

(A little more backstory is available at CathNews. Photo credit: CNA.)

update: This author thinks Mahony acted more out of annoyance because his authority was being ignored than a true interest in safekeeping doctrinal integrity in his archdiocese. What do you think?

A changed man?

Cardinal Mahony writing in The Tidings – italics are my own:

For me personally, the two most memorable moments of grace with our Holy Father were ones shrouded in quiet prayer, silence and few public words: his meeting with victims of sexual abuse in Washington, D.C., and his visit to Ground Zero in New York. Both of these events had the dignity of silence, the depth of sadness, and the promise of hope-filled prayer – and both captured deeply the most wounded parts of our Church and of our country.

Yes, the great outdoor Masses were inspiring, the meetings with ecumenical and interfaith leaders were moving, and the gathering with young people and seminarians was memorable. But the power of those times of quiet healing moved me more deeply than all the rest of the Holy Father’s many public appearances.

At first, I didn’t know why. After all, concelebrating Mass with the Pope and tens of thousands of people was surely uplifting and a source of joy for us all. Slowly the realization became real: those times of quiet healing grace were exactly what I needed at this time in my own journey of faith. My own mistakes and failures over the years had continued to burden me – a weight that I failed to realize was holding me down.

The gentle and quiet manner of Pope Benedict touched me in the most vulnerable depths of my soul. I felt uplifted by our Shepherd and my heavy burdens somehow seemed lighter. How did our Holy Father accomplish this? Through his consistent call to faithful discipleship in Jesus Christ, and his reassurance that we are truly saved by hope in our loving God! His recent Encyclical Letter, Spe Salvi [Saved by Hope], continues to point us forward and upward on our journeys. He does not allow us to remain mired in our sins and faults, but instead, kept repeating the call to “true freedom” in Jesus who has come as “the way, the truth, and the life” for each one of us.

I return to Los Angeles a different disciple of Jesus than when I left a week ago. Thank you, Lord, for sending us not only the Vicar of Christ and the Successor of Peter, but also a brother and friend who knows Jesus personally and gave us six extraordinary days of grace and hope!

I dearly hope that Mahony’s change of heart is authentic and bears fruit through internal and external reform.

Mahony, regular readers of this blog know, has a long history of doctrinal selectivism, allows and and promotes liturgical abuse, by many accounts has been deeply involved in abuses related to clergy sexual misconduct (during which he has often thrown the interests of the Church under the treads of civil law to protect himself), and is guilty of such deeply imprudent things as the construction of an ugly, vacant, $200 million cathedral in an archdiocese which could ill-afford such expenditures.

Has Mahony learned that it’s never too late to begin acting for the best interest of the Church? Has he internalized the full range of Pope Benedict’s teachings and exhortations? I hope so, on both counts.

If not, this letter is an empty lament, and a sounding gong. More than that: it’s a crying shame.

Ph/t: Gerald Augustinus.

The AmP postmortem on “Mahoneyfest ‘08″

ph/t: reader “Susan“.

Diogenes looks at the improbabilities surrounding Cdl. Mahony’s claim that he was assaulted.

Related:

• Follow-up: LAPD begins investigation of Cdl. Mahony assault claim
• Report: Mahony tells priests he was assaulted near L.A.’s cathedral

Since yesterday’s post about Cardinal Mahony’s claim that he was violently assaulted this summer is receiving a great deal of traction, I’ve decided to post an update.

For starters, in today’s world you can’t simply mention to your priests “Oh, and by the way I was assaulted” and expect it to stay quiet.

Indeed, LAPD detectives began investigating Mahony’s report yesterday (the same day the story went public):

LAPD detectives Tuesday began investigating reports that Cardinal Roger Mahony told hundreds of priests he was assaulted by a man angered over the Catholic Church’s sexual-abuse scandal, police said.

Police found no reports regarding an assault on Mahony and contacted church officials to ask them about it, said Andrew Smith, assistant commanding officer for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Bureau.

“If it came to my attention that something happened to Cardinal Mahony, I would have called him and offered my assistance and assured that it was fully investigated … which is exactly what we’re going to do now,” Smith said.

… Smith said while Mahony’s under no legal obligation to cooperate in an investigation, he hopes that the cardinal does.

“What I’d really like to do is find out who the guy who did it was,” Smith said. “Maybe he’s going around and assaulting priests all over the diocese. … Despite whatever your personal feelings are about the Catholic Church or the abuse, you can’t walk up to anybody on the street and assault them.”

Smith said detectives will do a thorough job and leave no stone unturned as they try to piece together what occurred. – DailyNews

More details on the alleged attack:

�[Mahony] went down there to drop something off at the mailbox when this guy approached him, saying some stuff,� said Father Gutierrez, pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church in Santa Monica. �Then, boom, the guy was on him.�

The attack, according to Father Gutierrez and others, occurred days after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved a $660 million settlement between the archdiocese and more than 500 local victims of abuse by the clergy. The settlement is the largest of its kind in the country. – NewYorkTimes

Associated Press details:

Mahony, 71, told the priests about the attack during a conference in October, said the Rev. Joseph Shea, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Glendale. The cardinal said it occurred in late July or early August as he was dropping off letters at a mailbox near Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles, Shea said.

“The comments people made as they kicked him were connected to the sexual abuse lawsuits,” he told The Associated Press.

Shea said Mahony was so badly beaten that the cardinal was hospitalized, and that it took him weeks to recover.

… Shea said Mahony did not report the attack to police “because he felt he could offer it up in reparation for the sins of others.”

… The Rev. Sal Pilato, principal at Junipero Serra Catholic High School in Gardena, who was also at the conference, told the Daily News that Mahony’s account was “shocking because it was an act of violence and it was someone we know and respect.”

Another witness account from the LA Times:

The priest said Mahony offered the story almost in passing, as a way of illustrating the personal toll that the sexual abuse scandal had exacted on everyone in the church, but especially its hundreds of victims.

“He said he was walking to the post office or the store and that a man recognized him and started shouting obscenities about the abuse,” the priest said. “Then the man came up and punched him and he fell to the ground. We were all shocked. Nobody had heard anything about it.”

… Another priest who attended the conference said Mahony was struck in the face during the assault. The priest, along with a third source familiar with the meeting, confirmed the details of Mahony’s statements, but both also asked not to be named.

The response from the Archdiocese (besides declining to comment):

The cardinal could not be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese, Carolina Guevara, said, �The annual pastoral meeting with the priests of the archdiocese is a private meeting, and whatever conversation that might have taken place was between the priests and their bishop and was not meant to be public.�

Priests at the meeting reported that Cardinal Mahoney said it had taken him a month to heal from the assault. �The cardinal is fine,� Ms. Guevara said when asked about his condition. – New York Times

Finally, local station CBS 2 has a video report on its website.

That’s the pesky thing about mentioning something you decided to keep private: you can’t.

More as I hear it.