NYT,pg1: Film on Pedophile Priest Revives Focus on L.A.'s Cardinal Mahony

[DeepModem Mom]

Film on Pedophile Priest Revives Focus on Cardinal
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Published: October 7, 2006

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6 — A documentary film featuring an extraordinarily candid interview with a former priest convicted of molesting children has heightened interest among law enforcement officials here in considering a criminal case against Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, says a prosecutor who has been investigating sexual abuse cases involving priests.

In the documentary, “Deliver Us From Evil,” the former priest, Oliver O’Grady, describes how he abused young boys and girls across central California over 20 years, including a period in the 1980’s when Cardinal Mahony was his superior as the bishop in Stockton.

The former priest, who lives in Ireland, said he was able to continue abusing children in part because of actions by Cardinal Mahony, who now heads the country’s largest Roman Catholic archdiocese, here in Los Angeles, and is among the church’s most influential American leaders. Mr. O’Grady says in the film that as bishop in Stockton, the cardinal moved him from parish to parish in the face of abuse accusations.

“The film does certainly charge the atmosphere here in Los Angeles,” said William Hodgman, the top deputy of the target crimes division of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, who coordinated prosecutions of priests in Los Angeles.

The film also “will fuel ongoing consideration as to whether Cardinal Mahony and others engaged in criminal activity,” Mr. Hodgman added....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/07/us/07priest.html?ref=todayspaper

[aquart]

1. Nice timing.

[arewenotdemo]

2. The entire Roman Catholic hierarchy should be incarcerated or disbanded

as it constitutes a threat to children everywhere.

I think the Cardinal's own words sum things up nicely:

"In a 2004 deposition related to civil trials in Los Angeles, Cardinal Mahony stated that expressing sexual urges toward a 9-year-old would not be automatic cause for removing a priest from duty."