A US cardinal accused of mismanaging clerical sexual abuse has been listed as playing an official role in the ceremonies to close Pope Francis\u2019 coffin and for his burial. <\/p>\n
Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, is among a group of nine cardinals and a small number of priests and bishops set to take part in the rites which will include the pope\u2019s burial at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. <\/p>\n
Mahony, 89, retired as archbishop in 2011. He was relieved of all his official duties in the archdiocese in 2013 \u2013 although these duties were not specified. <\/p>\n
However, the American cardinal is listed as participating in the forthcoming ceremonies as a \u201ccardinal priest,\u201d a position within the College of Cardinals. The college includes \u201ccardinal deacons,\u201d \u201ccardinal priests\u201d and \u201ccardinal bishops.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mahony holds a senior position among the cardinal priests as he is one of the longest-serving \u2014 those who have served longer than him are in their nineties. Other cardinals taking part in the ceremonies include Giovanni Battista Re, who is the dean of the College of Cardinals; Pietro Parolin, who is the most senior cardinal bishop under the age of 80 and is the Holy See Secretary of State; and Dominique Mamberti, the \u201cprotodeacon\u201d who will tell the world when a new pope has been chosen. <\/p>\n
A spokesman for the Holy See said Mahony was involved because he was the most senior cardinal priest available to take part in the ceremonies, with others unable to participate. <\/p>\n
This is not the first time Mahony\u2019s involvement at a time of papal transition has caused controversy. In the run up to the 2013 conclave which elected Francis, a petition in Los Angeles was signed urging him not to take part. This time, due to his age, the cardinal does not have the right to vote \u2013 only those under the age of 80 are eligible to do so. <\/p>\n
Mahony, who led the Los Angeles archdiocese from 1985 to 2011, has repeatedly apologized for his handling of clerical sexual abuse. In 2013 internal church records revealed that in the 1980s, he and his vicar for clergy failed to remove priests accused of abuse and cooperate with law enforcement. <\/p>\n
The cardinal\u2019s successor, Archbishop Jose Gomez, said in 2013 that Mahony \u201cwill no longer have any administrative or public duties\u201d in Los Angeles although the archdiocese later clarified that he remained a \u201cpriest in good standing.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mahony hit back at Gomez\u2019s ban saying to him that \u201cnot once over these past years did you ever raise any questions about our policies, practices, or procedures in dealing with the problem of clergy sexual misconduct involving minors.\u201d He said he had repeatedly acknowledged that he made \u201cmistakes, especially in the mid-1980s\u201d over abuse but that he had handed over an Archdiocese that was \u201csecond to none in protecting children and youth.\u201d <\/p>\n
The clerical sexual abuse scandal has led to historically high payouts by the Los Angeles archdiocese. In 2007, it paid $660 million in a financial settlement to 508 victims and last year a further $880 million to 1,353 survivors in cases going back decades. Mahony was also accused of mishandling the case of an abuser priest when he was Bishop of Stockton. <\/p>\n
For many years, Mahony was a prominent figure in the US church hierarchy and considered a strong voice for immigrants, workers\u2019 rights and the importance of Hispanic Catholics for the US church. <\/p>\n
During his pontificate, Francis ordered a number of important reforms to deal with the scourge of clerical sexual abuse, but experts say it will be up to his successor to implement them. <\/p>\n
\u201cCardinal Mahony is our Archbishop Emeritus. He retired in 2011 as Archbishop of Angeles and has continued his ministry in our Archdiocese as a retired archbishop,\u201d the archdiocese said. \u201cHe has always been in good standing.\u201d <\/p>\n
It continued, \u201cWe are blessed to have Cardinal Mahony represent our Archdiocese in Rome for the funeral of our Holy Father and the election of our new Pope.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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