Cardinal Mahony

No to another war Re "A no-fly zone could be tricky," March 1 Given our country's continued though unwanted presence in Iraq and in Afghanistan, is the United States now also seriously contemplating military intervention in Libya? My sympathies are with the people of Libya, but the U.S. has already been brought low economically by a decade of unnecessary, undeclared and expensive wars. Still, we refuse to grapple with the question of whether we should be the world's cop; nor have we ever raised the far more serious question of whether a democracy can also be an empire.

Progressive stand Re "Obama shifts stance on gay unions," Feb. 24 As a progressive, I have long said that I would prefer a one-term Democratic president who stands up for the liberal precepts of equality, justice and liberty over one who capitulates on principles for two terms of mediocrity. History will shine brightly on President Obama's time in office, as he is the first to affirm and lead on a simple and undeniably American legality: There are no asterisks in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence.

Cardinal Roger Mahony walked slowly across the sanctuary of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, leaning softly on his shepherd's staff as he completed one of his last public acts as archbishop of Los Angeles. Passing the altar on one side and his assembled bishops on the other, he finally reached the man who was taking over his position as head of the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese. Mahony handed the crooked staff, known as a crosier, to Archbishop Jose Gomez, symbolizing one of the most ancient traditions of the church, the transfer of authority from one bishop to another.

When the social and political history of Los Angeles in the late 20th century comes to be written, it's likely that two men will stand out as fundamentally transformative leaders. One will be Tom Bradley, the five-term mayor who changed the city's politics and realigned its economic course; the other will be Cardinal Roger Mahony, the Hollywood-born prelate who has led what is now America's largest Roman Catholic diocese as archbishop for the last quarter-century, a post from which he will retire Sunday on his 75th birthday, as church law requires.

Taking on Mahony Re "Scandal taints end of tenure," Column, Feb. 20 After 25 years of superb leadership, one would think that Steve Lopez would focus on some of Cardinal Roger Mahony's positive accomplishments in L.A. Instead, Lopez put his focus on an elderly priest who slipped under the radar. Mahony has been a loud voice for comprehensive immigration reform and for elevating women to powerful positions in the church; he has walked with the janitors in their strike for better wages; he has worked to bring Christians and Jews closer together and on outreach to the Muslim and other religious communities.

Cardinal Roger Mahony is down to his last week on the job, but my invitation to the going-away party must have been lost in the mail. Before His Eminence passes the torch, I put in one last request for an interview, to no avail. That keeps my record intact, but it's a shame because I had several questions about the latest scandal at the archdiocese. This one involves a priest who admitted he was a molester but remained in ministry. The good reverend was even appointed, if you can believe this, to Mahony's sexual abuse advisory board.

On a Sunday morning soon after he arrived in Los Angeles, Roman Catholic Archbishop Jose Gomez celebrated Mass in Santa Maria. In his telling, it was an epic journey. Santa Maria lies 160 miles northwest of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the seat of the archdiocese in downtown Los Angeles, but still within the boundaries of the territory Gomez is about to inherit. The drive there took two hours, he remembers. The drive back in afternoon traffic took four. "That was my introduction to Los Angeles traffic," Gomez said in a recent interview, laughing and shaking his head.

Here is a transcript of The Times' interview with Coadjutor Archbishop Jose Gomez, conducted the week before Christmas. It has been edited for brevity and clarity. What I primarily wanted to talk to you about is what you've been doing since you've been here, and how you're getting to know the archdiocese ? and what a coadjutor archbishop does. [Laughing] I wish I knew. So let me just begin with that general question: What have you been doing to learn your way around this huge archdiocese?

When he turns 75 late next month, Cardinal Roger Mahony will step down as the leader of America's largest Roman Catholic diocese. But he's still vigorous and plans to remain very much engaged, not only as a priest but also as an influential voice in the debates over an issue that has preoccupied him throughout his ministry: Immigration. In a statement to be distributed throughout the archdiocese this week, Mahony outlines his plans in a deeply personal document headed, "STANDING with the ELEVEN MILLION: Welcoming the Strangers in Our Midst.

Mahony and the crimes Re "Deposition an eye-opener," Column, June 20 How is it that Cardinal Roger Mahony has never been charged as an accessory to these crimes? This man is a thuggish bureaucrat who to this day doesn't take responsibility for crimes committed against innocent children. He sees these crimes through the prism of the 1980s — but child abuse and rape were hideous crimes then and continue to be hideous crimes today. This man not only ruined the lives of countless children, but also ruined the Catholic experience for many of us who will not attend a church whose leader ought to be in jail.