Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles is in the news today, and not in a good way.
First, the LA Times reports that
The U.S. attorney in Los Angeles has launched a federal grand jury investigation into Cardinal Roger M. Mahony in connection with his response to the molestation of children by priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the case.
The probe, in which U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O'Brien is personally involved, is aimed at determining whether Mahony, and possibly other church leaders, committed fraud by failing to adequately deal with priests accused of sexually abusing children, said the sources, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.
Meanwhile, news has come out that the Archdiocese scuppered a job application by renegade priest Fr Geoff Farrow, who was fired for coming out and opposing Prop8 from the pulpit.
Farrow reports on his blog
In brief, I had applied for the position of Executive Director of a non-profit organization in Los Angeles. I had very successfully completed the lion’s share of the interview process and was all but assured that I would be given the position. I had one final interview left with the Board of Directors on December 15th, 2008. Two days before that interview, I received a phone call from a Board Member informing me that the final interview had been cancelled. He was extremely apologetic and explained that they had received a phone call from the Archdiocese threatening them with disaffiliation if I were to be hired as the Executive Director.
Now, I don't know the gory details of Fr Farrow's relationship with the church.
I don't know what this latest probe is of Mahony.
Neither of these stories presents "the other side".
But coming on top of the re-instatement of the Holocaust denier by the Vatican, this has not been a good week for the public face of the Roman Catholic church.