(Cardinal) Mahony assaulted near L.A.'s cathedral

Daily News ^ | December 4, 2007 | Rick Coca

[Alex Murphy]

Mahony was telling the priests they all had a price to pay for the sexual abuses perpetrated by their brethren when he relayed the story of the assault as an example of the personal toll he's endured, several priests said.

Bruised after the attack, he said it gave him a deeper understanding of the suffering the victims of the sex scandal have endured, the priests said.

"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
- Leviticus 18:22

"...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."
Matthew 18:6

[Biggirl]

It would not suprise me if Cardinal Mahony retires sooner, with hints coming from the Vatican.

[PAR35]

"It was shocking because it was an act of violence and it was someone we know and respect."

Who was known and respected? The attacker? Mahoney is known, but I'm not sure 'respected' is a good description for him.

[Campion]

Obviously this great, highly-respected prelate is in great danger. It would be best if he retires early for his own safety.

I believe it is essential that he retreat to a secluded monastery where he can be properly protected. And soon; tomorrow could be too late!

[utahagen]

Up until recently, I worked in downtown Los Angeles, a few blocks from the Cathedral. I know the area well. If Cardinal Mahony got attacked by anyone, it was by one of the homeless people who have made downtown an unpopular place to live, in spite of the billions of dollars that have been invested in residential real estate in the neighborhood over the last ten years. If a homeless person did attack Mahony, it had nothing really to do with the sex scandal, even if that’s what the attacker was yelling about. People who are crazy or bad doesn’t have valid “reasons” for beating people up, so Mahony is dignifying this guy by even repeating what he said. I am very skeptical if this “attack” was much more than the common, albeit frightening, interaction people downtown have with vagrants. If Mahony really was attacked, he owed it to fellow denizens of Los Angeles to tell the police. Since, he chose not to, he does not get “credit” for being a victim. I think Mahony is being disingenuous at best about this supposed attack and I hope the media ignore it.

[maryz]

I was thinking after I posted that maybe something happened -- probably just yelling or maybe a shove. And Mahony "embroidered" it into something that would suit his purposes. What you say about the area makes a scenario like this even more likely!

[ducdriver]

tomorrow could be too late!

...and yesterday wouldn't be soon enough!

[utahagen]

I used to work a few blocks from the cathedral. Believe it or not, it’s even uglier than any photo has captured.

[jtal]

I’m with you - this smells very fishy.

Were there any other witnesses to this assault?

[VOA]

I agree with your assessment...Mahony could just as well been assaulted
by one of the vagrants.

One thing that doesn’t wash with me is...the couple of times I visited
the Taj Mahony there were maybe at least five or six BEEFY guy in blue
sportscoats. They sure looked like “security”. I’d be suprised if Mahony
didn’t have at least some (even covert) bodyguard when he’s about town.

I hope that Mahony’s “insights” about the fuller depth of the priestly
scandals is authentic...and not just stage-craft.

[nkycincinnatikid]

OUCH! That is really ugly.

[vox_freedom]

Maybe it was the same guy who “assaulted” Dan Rather.

[mckenzie7]

I would give him the benefit of the doubt and believe him.

When he spoke of what happened to him, it made me think of the many wonderful priests that go about doing God’s work under the eyes of a suspicious public, because of the actions of a few disgusting, perverted priests.

As a cradle Catholic, I have been around Catholic clergy all of my life and have never met one evil priest.

I believe that the devil works overtime to corrupt our priests and also ministers. The more that he brings them down, the more people are led astray.

[FloreatIacobus]

Mandatory retirement is only 4 years away.

That will be an interesting one - His Emminence has to offer his resignation, but traditionally Cardinal Archbishops are kept on until they're 80 unless there's reason not to...let's keep an eye on what His Holiness does with this case.

[NYer]

His Emminence has to offer his resignation, but traditionally Cardinal Archbishops are kept on until they're 80 unless there's reason not to...let's keep an eye on what His Holiness does with this case.

If B-16 is still with us, I fully expect he will accept the mandatory resignation at 12:00am on Mahony's 75th birthday. He probably has a Vatican dossier of complaints as thick as that of my bishop and several others from the same class.

[bboop]

He just went public with it. I hope the Lord gives this man the opportunity to think deeply about his very real part in this scandal and his soul. And I would love for the Pope to replace him asap.

[Stingray51]

Doesn’t the LA Cardinal have a bodyguard? Seems odd.

Reminds of me of when the late Congressman Stewart McKinney was “mugged” on Capitol Hill. Turned out to be something different.