Mahony Ousts Priests in Sex Abuse Cases
Clergy: Church sources say as many as 12 are involved. They are quietly fired or forced to retire.

By Larry B. Stammer and William Lobdell
LA Times
March 4, 2002
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As many as a dozen Southern California priests who were involved in past sexual abuse cases have been directed by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony to retire or otherwise leave their ministries.

The forced retirements, which church sources said ranged from at least half a dozen to 12 priests, were the latest repercussions in the growing scandal of priestly sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S.

The church's Los Angeles Archdiocese made no public announcement of the dismissals, which occurred during the last two weeks. Numerous efforts seeking comment from officials were unsuccessful.

In a separate case, a popular Orange County priest who admitted molesting a teenage boy 19 years ago bid farewell to his parish Sunday. Father Michael Pecharich was asked to leave last week by the Bishop of Orange, the Most Rev. Tod D. Brown. Pecharich's case had been known to the church since 1996.

None of the priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese are believed to be involved in any recent cases of sexually abusing minors. Their cases occurred as long as a decade ago, and all had undergone psychological counseling, according to one of the sources.

Nonetheless, since the scandal over the sexual abuse of minors erupted anew in the Boston archdiocese last month, dioceses across the country, including the Diocese of Orange and Diocese of San Bernardino, have been under increasing pressure to rid themselves of any priests with a history of sexual misconduct.

"Boston sent a red alert," said one church source, who asked not to be named because it would aggravate his relations with superiors.

The Catholic Church has been dogged for decades by sporadic complaints of child molestation. But the magnitude of the Boston case and several high-profile settlements of civil suits by the church have drawn unusual attention. In Boston, the archdiocese was found to have known for years about, but failed to act against, a priest who had been accused of molesting 130 children.

As that scandal mushroomed, Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston reluctantly turned over to law enforcement officials the names of 80 priests who had been accused of abusing children during the last 40 years. Boston's action was soon followed by similar disclosures in Philadelphia.

In San Bernardino on Sunday, the controversy prompted Bishop Gerald R. Barnes to write an open letter to his parishes seeking to reassure parishioners of his diocese's long-standing policy of removing errant priests. Barnes also spoke on behalf of "good" priests whom he said have been unfairly tarnished by the scandal.

Legal Outlook Is Uncertain

It was unclear Sunday whether the names of any of the priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese--which includes Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties--would be given to law enforcement authorities, or whether any of the priests planned to appeal their dismissals.

A knowledgeable law enforcement official said it did not appear any of the cases had been previously referred for criminal prosecution by the archdiocese. This official could recall only one referral of a priest for criminal prosecution for molestation in the last several years. He said that case resulted in a conviction.

The archdiocese in past statements has promised to cooperate fully with civil authorities and the legal system. Mahony, the archbishop of Los Angeles, was a member of a national bishops conference committee that recommended such steps.

Nor was it clear why the Los Angeles priests were being asked to leave only now, since the archdiocese has had a stated policy since 1988 to "never deal with a problem of sexual abuse on the part of a priest or deacon by simply moving him to another ministerial assignment."

Sources familiar with Mahony's actions suggested they were prompted not only by the Boston scandal but by a 2001 court settlement in which the Los Angeles archdiocese promised to rid itself of anyone who had been found guilty of sexual abuse in the past, either by an admission or in civil or church proceedings.

That case involved a victim, Ryan DiMaria, who claimed he had been sexually abused as a teenager by a priest at a church high school. The $5.2-million settlement, approved by the dioceses of Los Angeles and Orange, required the church to remove any other employee found to be guilty of sexual abuse.

DiMaria's attorney, Katherine K. Freberg of Irvine, said she was elated by the dismissals.

"This was our very vision: that both Los Angeles and Orange would literally go through their files and determine if they had any priests that have molested someone, and that they get ousted," Freberg said. "I cannot tell you how happy this makes me--and the way it's been played out. I see this as the culmination of all the victims across the country banding together and saying we will no longer live in the secrecy or tolerate the cover-up."

Of the targeted priests in the Los Angeles archdiocese, those who are 62 or older have been asked to retire. Younger priests were told that their status as priests was now "inactive." Those who resided in a parish rectory or other church facility were asked to move out.

In one case, a priest was said to have been given 72 hours to pack his belongings and leave.

In face-to-face meetings with Mahony, the priests were also reportedly asked to consider leaving the priesthood entirely through a process called laicization, a step rarely taken upon retirement, a knowledgeable church source said. They were also offered what one churchman called a "generous" severance package.

Word of the dismissals came a week after Mahony issued a strongly worded pastoral statement published in the archdiocesan weekly newspaper in which he reiterated a "zero tolerance" policy when it comes to sexual abuse of a minor.

Mahony promised that the archdiocese "will not knowingly assign or retain a priest, deacon, religious or layperson to serve in its parishes, schools, pastoral ministries, or any other assignment when such an individual is determined to have previously engaged in the sexual abuse of a minor."

The problem of child sexual abuse by priests threatens not only the church's credibility but its finances. Various estimates by legal experts have suggested the church had paid out hundreds of millions in settlements over the years. The $5.2-million settlement in DiMaria's case last year in Orange County is believed to be the largest sum involving a single individual.

One church source noted that if Mahony were accused of failing to abide by the terms of the DiMaria settlement, his diocese would be liable.

"If he were accused of anything, his pockets are the deepest. He owns everything," the source said. "Now the archbishop is able to answer unequivocally when asked 'are you keeping any sexually abusing priests in your archdiocese?' that the answer is an unequivocal no."

Mahony Voiced Concern to Peers

Mahony became archbishop in 1986, two years before the archdiocese said it adopted a sexual abuse policy. In 1992, Mahony publicly expressed concern about clergy sexual abuse during a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, then known as the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Meeting in Washington, the bishops conference hotel was picketed by individuals who said they had been sexually abused as minors by priests. The issue was not on the bishops' agenda, but they quickly consented to a private meeting led by Mahony.

"These were good people who have been deeply wounded by the misconduct of some of our priests," Mahony said in reporting back to the bishops in unscheduled public remarks. "These were people whose faith has been shattered and in some cases lost."

The bishops then voted unanimously to step up efforts to remain vigilant against sexual abuse, but victims complained then that the pledge was inadequate.

As recently as last month, the president of the bishops conference, the Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., renewed the pledge by U.S. bishops to "continue to take all the steps necessary to protect our youth from this kind of abuse in society and in the church."

Gregory said the church was confident that "few" of the nation's 47,000 priests were involved in such conduct. "The damage, however, has been immeasurable. The toll this phenomenon has taken on our people and our ministry is tremendous. This is a time for Catholic people--bishops, clergy, religious and laity--to resolve to work together to assure the safety of our children," Gregory said.

As part of Gregory's statement, the bishops conference announced an Internet site that details church policies and actions taken to fight sexual abuse. That site is www.usccb.org/comm/restore trust.htm.

How that will play out, however, is a difficult question as individual bishops work to address the injury to and needs of victims and their families, and to care for accused priests.

In Los Angeles, one church source said the ousters suggested the archdiocese had stopped dealing with priest molestation as a treatable mental health problem.

"The mental health model is being set aside and the criminal-justice model is being inserted. So all you have for these priests is a retribution model," the source said. "My fear is the church is going from being careless in treating abused children to being careless in treating abusing priests," the churchman said.

Times staff writers Rosemary McClure and Greg Krikorian contributed to this report.

Keeping our ministries safe from sexual abuse

By Monsignor Richard A. Loomis
The Tidings (Archdiocese of Los Angeles)
March 1, 2002
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Cardinal Mahony's recent Pastoral Statement, I Will Appoint Over You Shepherds After My Own Heart, presented the ongoing efforts of the Archdiocese to make our parishes and schools safe from the tragedy of sexual abuse. As the Cardinal said, "We have striven, and will continue to strive, that such reprehensible conduct, which is seriously sinful and totally in contradiction to Jesus' example and call, be prevented whenever possible and dealt with promptly and responsibly whenever it emerges."

The purpose of this piece is to outline the steps taken in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to address allegations of abuse if they arise, with a special focus on the policy and process in place if clergy are involved.

Sexual abuse

Sadly, the abuse of minors is a tragic reality of our times. Though experts in the field agree that it most frequently occurs in families, it attracts greatest public attention when someone in a position of trust is the perpetrator. Teachers, coaches, therapists and others who violate a special relationship with someone in their care attract the greatest public attention and outrage. This is especially true when clergy are involved in abuse.

Whether the perpetrator is an uncle baby-sitting nephews and nieces, a coach with his athletes, or a priest or deacon in pastoral counseling with a troubled young person, it is abuse. Sexual abuse of adults can be more difficult to recognize. We presume that adults act consensually. The key in recognizing abuse involving adults is the position of trust or power that the perpetrator uses to manipulate a victim.

No matter where it happens or who does it, abuse involves the manipulation of a vulnerable human being. The perpetrator's position of authority or trust acts to severely inhibit or to suspend the abused person's effort to say, "No."

"When adults are involved, sexual abuse by clergy occurs when a priest or deacon takes sexual advantage of another person, when he intentionally engages in sexual contact or touching in the context of providing pastoral care, or when he is guilty of sexual harassment, such as unwanted sexual advances or suggestions. Any sexual misconduct on the part of a priest or deacon involving a minor constitutes sexual abuse" (Archdiocesan Policy on Sexual Abuse by Clergy, 1988). Abuse always involves taking advantage of a vulnerable person, using one's position, authority or trust to victimize another.

As the Cardinal outlined in his Pastoral Statement, this reality has led to thorough screening of candidates preparing for ordination in the Archdiocese. A priest who comes to the Archdiocese from another diocese or a religious order must have the pledge of his superior that there is no reason he cannot work with minors.

What happens when abuse is reported?

First and most important to remember, most people who hold positions of trust in Catholic institutions are mandated by California state law to report child abuse. Teachers, teacher's aides and counselors in our schools, therapists and social workers in our counseling agencies, nurses and doctors in hospitals, and clergy in parishes or other ministries all have the obligation to report the reasonable suspicion of child abuse to the local police or to child protective services. When any of these people know of or have reasonable suspicion of abuse, they report it to the appropriate police or protective agency. This is true for those ministering in facilities owned and operated by the Archdiocese, as well as Catholic institutions owned and operated privately by religious communities. The only exception to the obligation to report is the most sacred communications between priest and penitent.

As the Bishops of California said in their document For the Protection of Children (1998), "We believe that our first principle in protecting children is reporting their abuse to proper authorities."

If the suspected perpetrator of abuse is an employee, religious or clergyman in an Archdiocesan institution, we ask that the person who first hears the complaint would also report the suspected abuse to the appropriate supervisory office in the Archdiocese. For example, an allegation against a teacher in a school would be reported to the principal and to the Department of Catholic Schools. If a nurse in a hospital would be accused, the hospital administration would follow the appropriate personnel policies of the hospital.

Complaints against clergy are reported to the Office of Assistance Ministry. The Office of Assistance Ministry has been established recently by the Archbishop to facilitate and coordinate the pastoral response to victims in cases of abuse. A layperson with professional certification in psychology and experience in casework carries out this ministry. However, consulting psychologists assisting the Vicar for Clergy Office previously provided this same service.

If a complaint involves a priest who is a member of a religious order, the assistance minister will help establish contact with the appropriate religious superior who will investigate the claim and take appropriate action. Before a religious priest would be able to return to ministry in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Vicar for Clergy must know the results of the investigation and the action taken by the religious community. The Archdiocese then makes its own assessment as to whether or not a return to ministry here will be allowed.

If the alleged misconduct involves minors, the religious superior would have to remove the priest from his ministry in the archdiocese pending the outcome of the investigations. A priest from a religious order or another diocese who has been determined to have abused minors will not be accepted for ministry in the Archdiocese.

Anonymous complaints?

The Archdiocese cannot act on anonymous complaints of misconduct involving adults. Adults have the responsibility to stand behind allegations of misconduct.

However, for the safety of children, anonymous complaints involving minors are investigated. Anonymous complaints of abuse of minors by Archdiocesan clergy or employees can be made in writing, or by telephone to the Archdiocesan sexual abuse hotline. Yet, it must be understood right from the start that anonymous complaints are most often very difficult to verify. It is not possible to take corrective action when misconduct cannot be demonstrated. In case of an anonymous complaint, it is also not possible to offer appropriate help to someone harmed by abuse.

Next steps

Complaints of sexual misconduct are taken seriously. If at all possible, they are heard in person but written complaints are also received, acknowledged and investigated. A person delegated by the Archbishop to look into the matter works with the assistance minister to hear the complaint. From the start, the focus of the Archdiocese is on reaching out to the person who feels victimized by a clergyman. As is only fair, the clergyman is also given a full hearing. Corroborating information to establish the truth of the situation is sought out whenever possible.

In a situation involving minors, the clergyman must leave pastoral ministry pending the outcome of the investigations. If a priest or deacon is determined to have abused a minor, he will not be returned to ministry.

In cases involving adults, when it is ascertained that the complaint is valid and that abuse did indeed take place, the priest is removed from his assignment in order to be offered appropriate assessment and treatment. In situations involving adults, each case must be evaluated on an individual basis as to whether or not a priest or deacon may eventually return to some sort of ministry after appropriate treatment.

In either situation, the assistance minister also takes action to facilitate appropriate help and therapy for the victim on behalf of the Archdiocese.

If a priest must be removed from his parish, assistance is also offered to the parish staff to help in working through the trauma of having a fellow staff member removed, as well as offering training so that they will be better equipped to support and minister to parishioners.

Inform the people

When a priest is removed from a parish, the parishioners receive an explanation from an appropriate representative of the Archdiocese. Through an announcement, parishioners receive accurate information provided in a timely fashion about what has happened in a particular case of alleged sexual misconduct. This announcement is most often given at Sunday Mass. While trying to respect the good name, privacy and civil rights of all involved, the announcement outlines why the priest is not ministering with his people, as well as the help and support that will be offered to parishioners.

Though a painful experience for a parish family, the overwhelming response to these announcements has been positive, recognizing that the Church is being honest with her people. However, it must be acknowledged that some people have expressed that such announcements should not take place. Nevertheless, the Archdiocese believes that accurate, respectful information prevents rumors and helps a parish community to move toward healing. Such announcements also open the door for any other victims to come forward and ask for help. The Archdiocese seeks to provide assistance or support to those involved, working toward healing the wounds caused by a tragic violation of trust.

Pastoral ministry to all God's people

In his ministry to the people of God, the Archbishop is called to be a shepherd to all his people and clergy. In situations involving accusations of sexual abuse by a priest or deacon, he must strive to be the shepherd of all parties. He is called by the Gospel to seek the good of all, providing a fair hearing and pastoral help to all involved. He is also called to strive to make parishes and schools safe. No human endeavor is perfect, but the policies and procedures of the Archdiocese to address cases of abuse have been developed, and will continue to be reviewed and improved, as a concrete attempt to respond to the call of the Good Shepherd in the life of the Church.

Monsignor Richard A. Loomis is Secretariat Director for Administrative Services for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is also the former Archdiocesan Vicar for Clergy.

I Will Appoint Over You Shepherds After My Own Heart
A Pastoral Statement

By Cardinal Roger Mahony
Archbishop of Los Angeles
February 21-22, 2002
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I. GOOD SHEPHERDS

God's promise to his people spoken by the prophet Jeremiah is powerful: "I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently" (Jeremiah 3:15). That prophecy reaches its greatest fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ who will define his own ministry in these words: "I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

From the earliest days of Christianity, the image of Jesus as our Good Shepherd has been one of the most enduring. The very first artwork of Jesus found in the catacombs depict him as the loving, caring, nurturing, and protecting shepherd of the flock. That image of the good shepherd summarizes best the entire life and ministry of Jesus, and will serve as the model for all who will minister in his name in succeeding ages.

All who dedicate themselves to ordained, consecrated, and committed service to God's People in the Roman Catholic Church must define themselves and their ministry fully in the image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. All who continue to serve God's people in the name of the Good Shepherd - whether they be priests, religious or laity - are bound to imitate fully the example of Jesus Christ who was willing to lay down his life for the sheep. No lesser standard is acceptable for any of us in serving the people entrusted to our ministry by the Lord.

Jesus warned us that unless we fulfill the role of the good shepherd, we are nothing more than untrustworthy hired workers: "A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them" (John 10:12).

Throughout the centuries, the Lord has called countless men and women into the ministry and service of God's People. And thanks to God's grace, the vast majority have been good and faithful servants, and have lived out heroic lives of service after the model of the Good Shepherd - with many literally laying down their lives for the flock.

Fortunately, the vast majority of our priests, deacons, and lay ministers serve with zeal after the example of the Good Shepherd, and they minister to their people with distinction. I am grateful to them and proud of them.

Sadly, however, a small minority of priests, deacons, religious, and lay ministers have behaved more like the hired workers Jesus identifies. They have neither protected nor fed the flock with the care Jesus demands. In extreme cases, they have not only failed to protect the flock, they have acted as wolves inflicting grave harm upon some members of the flock.

Tragically, some who have ministered in the name of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles have preyed upon the most vulnerable members of the flock and have caused them incalculable harm. We are aware that sexual misconduct is a human reality occurring in families, schools, prisons, other settings, and even Churches. This fact makes it all the more crucial that the Church honestly confront the reality of abuse. We have striven, and will continue to strive, to assure that such reprehensible conduct, which is seriously sinful and totally in contradiction to Jesus' example and call, be prevented whenever possible and dealt with promptly and responsibly whenever it emerges.

The greatest treachery in the Church is for one who has committed his or her life to minister to God's People after the model of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to use his or her spiritual position in the community to abuse or injure any member of that community. I condemn all such behavior without qualification. The most heinous betrayal among those ministering to the people of God is sexual misconduct, especially towards children. Such abuse is a grave evil and sin, and receives the harshest condemnation uttered by Jesus in the Gospels: "But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith in me would be better drowned in the depths of the sea with a great millstone round his neck" (Matthew 18:6).

As the chief shepherd of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, I must ensure that the faithful are served by men and women who fully reflect the love, nurture, and protection of the Good Shepherd. I cannot and will not accept less.

II. SEXUAL ABUSE by THOSE SERVING the ARCHDIOCESE

I sincerely apologize to anyone who has suffered sexual misconduct or abuse by a priest, deacon, lay minister, employee, or volunteer of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Such conduct totally contradicts the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and seriously breaches trust between minister and people. There are no excuses for sexual abuse.

Apologies are vitally necessary, but of themselves are insufficient. My goal as chief shepherd is to do all that is humanly possible to prevent sexual abuse by anyone serving the Archdiocese. Accordingly, in 1988 the Archdiocese of Los Angeles promulgated written policies on Sexual Abuse by Clergy. We continue to revise those policies and procedures as necessary to ensure that the overall goal is attained:

It is the policy of the Archdiocese that sexual abuse by clergy is a most serious abuse of trust and will not be tolerated. The Archbishop has the responsibility to the People of God to appoint priests and deacons to positions of trust only if he is morally certain that they will be able to properly serve the people entrusted to their pastoral care.

The Archdiocesan procedures focus upon these objectives:

Treat all allegations of sexual abuse seriously and never deal with a problem of sexual abuse on the part of a priest or deacon by simply moving him to another ministerial assignment;
Educate clergy and people about the problem of sexual abuse and set in place screening procedures and educational policies on this subject for those training for the ordained ministry;
Cooperate fully with civil reporting procedures governing sexual abuse.
There are parallel policies in place for Archdiocese/Parish schools, religious education programs, youth ministry, and detention ministry. These policies activate a process to deal immediately with allegations of sexual misconduct.

When we become aware of sexual misconduct, our first steps include attentive listening to the person who makes the complaint of abuse. Our immediate focus is to help the person directly harmed by the misconduct or abuse. Our assistance minister continues in contact with the person and provides appropriate counseling referrals. The sooner the healing process begins, the more effectively a shattered life can be restored.

At the same time, if a minor is involved, the requirements of the mandated reporting statutes are followed so that civil authorities may investigate the complaints. The individual accused is immediately removed from active ministry pending the results of the investigations. As to sexual misconduct charges involving adults, a thorough investigation is initiated by the Archdiocese and the individual is removed from active ministry if the circumstances warrant.

We must recognize that whenever abuse takes place there are many people victimized in a variety of ways who also need the Church's outreach: family members, parishioners, co-workers in the parish, teachers and staff in a parish school, fellow clergy, and the Church herself. A very real anger and rage emerges with the realization that one who serves the Archdiocese has victimized all of us through his or her betrayal of our trust.

The sexual abuse of minors is the most heinous of all. Children and youth depend upon adults to protect them and to form them. Clergy have a special obligation to assist parents by creating a Christian environment for their children. This obligation is shared with religious and lay ministers who work in collaboration with priests. Often, the children are entrusted to the parish and to the parish school for their ongoing formation and education. To violate those young people while they are in the care of the Church is the most despicable breach of trust.

Let me state very clearly: the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will not knowingly assign or retain a priest, deacon, religious, or lay person to serve in its parishes, schools, pastoral ministries, or any other assignment when such an individual is determined to have previously engaged in the sexual abuse of a minor. If the Archdiocese determines that a priest or deacon has engaged in such conduct, that person will be removed from all clerical offices and all pastoral or educational ministry and will not be reassigned. Since he will never return to active ministry, he will be encouraged to seek a dispensation from the obligations of the priesthood or the diaconate and to return to the lay state.

III. EFFORTS to ASSURE TRUSTWORTHY MINISTRY

I want to assure all the members of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that comprehensive steps are being taken to make certain that those being ordained are men of personal integrity and that they will serve the Church as trustworthy ministers after the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

The application and screening process for those entering our seminaries is thorough and comprehensive. It includes psychological testing, as well as an in-depth interview process. The background screening includes the government fingerprinting process. Our policy is to be ever alert for future priests and deacons who have the talents and generosity to serve the Church with the holiness and trustworthiness expected of a good shepherd.

Throughout the formation process, regular programs are given dealing with human growth and development, human sexuality, and how to maintain appropriate boundaries in ministerial relationships. Professional psychologists and other experts help guide the formation journey. Formation also includes participation in supervised ministry in a variety of settings. Feedback from this monitored ministry is used to assess the suitability of a candidate for ministry. Many aspects are taken into consideration before anyone is proposed for ordination.

Two years prior to possible ordination, our seminarians spend a full ten months living in a rectory and working with the priests, parish staff, and parishioners. During this period of time, the priests and parish staff monitor and evaluate them for suitability to be a diocesan priest. Upon their return to the seminary, evaluation continues for two years before being approved for ordination.

The Seminary emphasizes daily prayer, spiritual direction, and participation in a support group to assist him to live out a life that is faithful to the life of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and which will help ensure sound moral living.

Ordained priests and deacons are involved with ongoing formation and education programs designed to help them remain faithful to their commitments as clergy. The Archdiocese offers special programs to refresh the clergy on their obligations, to review acceptable boundary principles, and to keep them alert to their obligation to protect all in the Church - especially children and youth.

Teachers and staff in our schools and those employed in parishes to work with minors are fingerprinted and cleared by the appropriate law enforcement agency before beginning their work. They make an annual acknowledgement of their responsibility to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse. Policies on appropriate conduct with the youth in their care are also in place.

Though no human plan can possibly foresee all eventualities, I can say without hesitation that extensive efforts are being taken by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to make certain that all who minister to God's People in this Archdiocese do so with personal integrity, trustworthiness, and zeal - all the qualities of the Good Shepherd.

IV. OUR GOOD SHEPHERDS

While there is a wide circle of victims involved in any instance of sexual misconduct or abuse, the clergy of the Archdiocese suffer in a unique way. When a brother priest or deacon violates the sacred trust of his ordination and harms any parishioner, especially a child or youth, he lowers a cloud of suspicion over all priests and deacons. They feel a sense of betrayal, disappointment, disillusion, and anger.

Here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles we are truly blessed with priests and deacons who carry out their ministry with integrity and distinction. In fact, most clergy are working too hard. The continuing growth of the number of Catholics across the Archdiocese presents our priests and deacons with challenging pastoral demands.

The vast majority of our priests and deacons are dedicated ministers to our people, and I thank them and commend them for their commitment. We cannot allow the terrible evil of a few to tarnish the incalculable pastoral work and holiness of the majority.

I close with a quote from As I Have Done for You which expresses well the image of the Body of Christ, the Church, as intended by Jesus Christ and which is our goal here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles:

We are at our roots when the People of God gather faithfully together at the Eucharist with their bishop and with his priests and deacons and other ministers. The Spirit evokes the apostolic Church not by bringing us into the past, but by wedding the past to the ongoing life and faith of this community, and by enlivening the charisms and enabling their full flourishing in a way that marked the early gatherings of the Church at prayer. 1

Our future as a Church and as an Archdiocese is strong and vibrant. Being comprised of human beings with all of our weaknesses, the Church processes forward with its saints and sinners. Our constant efforts are to renew all things in Christ and to cooperate with God's grace in building up the Church in genuine holiness. This is our prayer and our hope:

The Church at this moment may be likened to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13 ff.). Like them, we continue to speak with one another about all that God has been doing in our midst. Like them, we are on the road, in via, amidst a journey, and, like them, many of our expectations have been unsettled. As our tightly held expectations are disturbed, the gift of the Lord's presence, the power of the Spirit, is ours to receive, and the Lord is in our midst, no less than on the road to Emmaus - as companion on the journey, as teacher, as guide and, especially, in the Blessing and Breaking of the Eucharistic Bread.2

May Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, ever guide us on our journey as his disciples and co-laborers in his vineyard.

1 As I Have Done For You, A Pastoral Letter on Ministry, Holy Thursday, 2000, n. 75.

2 Op. cit., n. 76.