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LA Times ponders legacy of Cardinal Mahony

CWN - February 23, 2011

As Cardinal Roger Mahony nears the end of his long tenure as the head of America’s largest Catholic archdiocese, the Los Angeles Times offers a reflection on his legacy, emphasizing the cardinal’s strong support for immigrants and his highly publicized struggles with the sex-abuse scandal.

The Times, which has frequently been accused of biased treatment of stories involving Cardinal Mahony, adds extra drama to its story by opening with the claim that his “career was derailed by the church sex scandal.” The article on the whole is even-handed, however.

Cardinal Mahony, who was named Archbishop of Los Angeles in 1985, will celebrate his 75th birthday on Sunday, February 27. Having reached canonical retirement age, he will hand over the reins to Archbishop José Gomez, who was appointed in April 2010 as his coadjutor.

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  • Posted by: GabrielAustin9013 - Feb. 24, 2011 12:51 PM ET USA

    It is always to be doubtful when a paper feels the need to call on the 75 year old Fr. Reese,SJ, who was relieved of his position as editor of the Jesuit journal AMERICA, for encouraging dissent. Perhaps he and the cardinal can hold hands and skip off merrily to retirement at a monastery.

  • Posted by: Steve214 - Feb. 23, 2011 6:35 PM ET USA

    The paper is indeed biased, but that is understandable: they have no interest in promoting the faith, so they do not comment on the full extent to which the Cardinal has undermined the faith.

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