LA Archbishop Moves against Mahony

The Tablet
February 1, 2013

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/latest-news/5039

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles issued a statement yesterday announcing that he has stripped his predecessor Cardinal Roger Mahony of "any administrative or public duties", and accepted a request from his auxiliary bishop Thomas Curry to be relieved of his responsibility as the regional bishop of Santa Barbara.

Archbishop Gomez took the action in response to the recent release of archdiocesan documents pertaining to abuse by priests in the 1980s, showing that then-Archbishop Mahony and Mgr Curry tried to keep information from the police and move perpetrators out of the state beyond the reach of law enforcement officials.

The files made "brutal and painful reading", Archbishop Gomez said, describing behaviour that was both "sad and evil". He said he would undertake to address these issues in greater detail in the coming weeks, and meanwhile asked for "prayer, reflection and deep compassion for the victims of child sexual abuse."