LOS ANGELES (CA)
KTLA
by Doug Kolk
KTLA 5 Reporter
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A Catholic organization has delivered a petition with thousands of signatures asking Cardinal Roger Mahony to recuse himself from the conclave in Rome that will select the next pope.
The group, Catholics United, collected nearly 10,000 signatures making “a simple request” that the former archbishop of Los Angeles not participate in the process because of the priest abuse scandals that happened under his watch, said Chris Pumpelly, communications director for Catholics United.
The petition was delivered Saturday to St. Charles Borromeo in North Hollywood, where the cardinal resides. It was accepted by a church staff member.
Pumpelly said that the conclave offers “an opportunity for healing in the church” and that having someone like Mahony, with his complicated history, runs counter to that.
“This is one thing that would cast a cloud of scandal and shame over the conclave,” Pumpelly said of the participation of Mahony and others connected to priest abuse scandals.
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