Evidence shows bold L.A. priest abuse cover-up

(CBS News) LOS ANGELES - There is new evidence that leaders of the Catholic Church in Los Angeles maneuvered secretly to shield priests accused of sexually abusing children.

Documents just released indicate they never told parishioners -- or the police -- what they knew.

"What we're seeing in these files is but a glimpse into a very, very dark, and endless tunnel of secrecy, of abuse, of silence," said Raymond Boucher, a former altar boy and current lead attorney, representing some 500 victims of sex abuse by priests in the archdiocese of Los Angeles.

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Raymond Boucher

/ CBS News

The documents offer the strongest evidence yet of a cover-up that reached to the very top of Los Angeles clergy: Then-archbishop, now-retired Cardinal Roger Mahony.

"That has always been paramount for the church for decades: Protect itself from scandal," Boucher said.

Many of the documents are correspondence between Mahony and Monsignor Thomas Curry, his chief adviser on sex abuse. One concerns whether to allow Monsignor Peter Garcia to return to his duties in L.A. He had secretly been sent away for treatment in New Mexico for sexually abusing as many as 17 youngsters.

No one in the church hierarchy alerted authorities.

Mahony wrote on July 22, 1986: "I believe if Monsignor Garcia were to reappear here within the archdiocese we might very well have some type of legal action filed in both the criminal and civil sectors. Signed, sincerely yours in Christ, most reverend Roger Mahony."

Monsignor Curry concurred: "There are numerous - maybe 20 - adolescents or young adults that Peter Garcia was involved with in a first degree felony manner. The possibility of one of these seeing him is simply too great."

Cardinal Mahony issued this statement Tuesday to the victims: "I pray for them every single day."

It ends simply: "I'm sorry."

Victims held a press conference Tuesday. Manny Vega says was abused from age 10 to 15.

"Conscious, clear decisions were made to hide these priests and move them around and never, never did they consider the well-being of the children that they destroyed and left behind," Vega said.

Monsignor Garcia has passed away, and Monsignor Curry did not respond to requests for comment from CBS News.

As many as 30,000 more documents from the archdiocese sex abuse settlement are to be released in the coming weeks.

[DOGGYPANTS]

This is sick and perverted, but so is the state of CaliPornia, where these guys probably fit in with so many other freaks.
They must resign. The guilty must be prosecuted.

[noneofabove]

Consumer Reports, citing consumer safety issues, has downgraded the catholic church in its rankings of best religions.
It now falls just above #768, the Jonestown Kool-Aid Cult, but behind #765/766, Nuwaubianism and Scientology (tie.)

[LouAz]

What do you expect from MEN IN LACE COVERED DRESSES ?
Every catholic is equaly complicit . . . SILENCE IS CONSENT !

[cleric77]

In Roman Catholic dogma the authority of the Pope is highter than any secular/legal authority on earth. Also, the Roman Catholic clergy are His representatives around the world. Therefore, the clergy-bishop, monsignor, priest only answer to the Vatican/Pope.
Don't expect the Vatican to submit to any secular legal authority.
However, these sexual preverts within the Roman Catholic clergy will be judged by God and eternally punished for attempting to destroy the faith and lives are the little lambs in God's Flock.

[cleric77]

In Roman Catholic dogma the authority of the Pope is higher than any secular/legal authority on earth. Also, the Roman Catholic clergy are His representatives around the world. Therefore, the clergy-bishop, monsignor, priest only answer to the Vatican/Pope.
Don't expect the Vatican to submit to any secular legal authority.
However, these sexual preverts within the Roman Catholic clergy will be judged by God and eternally punished for attempting to destroy the faith and lives of these little lambs in God's Flock.

[Martha12345]

Sadly, the Catholic Church is losing all creditability and unless it makes some very sharp large changes, it will continue to decline in all areas of it's influence. "A few rotten apples....."

[regebob]

i hope it declines into oblivion

[lucky57e10]

What was penn state charged? (NOT ENOUGH).

OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE
CONSPIRICY
HARBORING A FELON

NOT IMUNE FROM PROSECUTION

[michaelamsterdam]

The Roman Catholic Church is a business...a very lucrative and powerful, CRIMINAL enterprise whose first concern is self-perpetuation.

From the very beginning, they set themselves up as the ONLY way for mortal man to attain Heaven and avoid Hell...and ruthlessly, often violently, suppressed any other early Christian view

The recent exposure of the systematic molestation of children, and the organized cover up of those crimes shows that the Church has never feared secular authority when word of their perversions occasionally gets out...

But what these sexual predators and their detestable enablers in fact show, is that they have absolutely no fear of...or indeed, any BELIEF, in God.

Fear of divine retribution and everlasting torment is a eons-old scam to employ on the marks (parishioners) to keep them in line...to prevent their complaining about the occasional buggery

But not for the clergy, who apparently always knew better...and have always exploited it

[vissionquest]

Control has always been the reason, interesting point that the "hoax" is realized at many levels of the church.

[Maerzie]

As long as the Catholic Church continues to put their wealth and greed (= power and control) paramount, as their false god, as forbidden by the very FIRST commandment of God, these aberrations and cover-ups will continue. Since Medieval times, when the Church was going broke, and mandatory celibacy was instituted as a primary requirement for being a priest, the Church has gradually lost its way, changing to its false god. You see, wives, children, and separate housing cost money, and celibacy allows the Church to hoard all that money into their coffers, building their power and control! These men, who are mandated into the abnormal celibate life, which only a rare individual can manage successfully, quell their frustration with mental illnesses, alcoholism, drugs, sexual aberrations, including affairs, homosexuality, pedophilia, etc. Even Christ did not mandate celibacy onto His Apostles. A rare person can voluntarily sublimate sexual appetite into acceptable holy and creative outlets, but, since Medieval times, the sacrifice has been MANDATED onto EVERY single man who has the vocation to be a priest. Most have no clue of the power of that sex drive at the time their vows are taken. It is a sick and sinful racket, and some Pope should have abolished it years ago, but they LOVE the money and power! We have never had a Pope with the cojones to do what is right under God's laws! Sex is one rung of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but that is for thinking priests to work on, and join together to rebel against the mandate, which is at the root of years of sinfulness, and loss of God in so very many of our Church leaders. Greed, money, power and CONTROL is the "god" they worship!

[NewsCommentrator]

Wholly Holey be the Holy framework. See the difference with what happened at Penn State. Where art thou oh George "Cardinal Glick" Carlin ("Dogma" 1999)with thy great wish dumb? Per chance all accused as conspirators be brought to a real inquisition? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, signify by saying "Aye" & a show of hands.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

This is happening WAY too often.

We need to put a ban on Catholic Priests.