Thread: Mahony's Message

http://www.nysun.com/article/49871


Roger Cardinal Mahony is expected on Capitol Hill this afternoon for a meeting with Senator Kennedy about changes to immigration laws, and let us just say, it is a welcome presence. Cardinal Mahony was appointed archbishop of Los Angeles in 1985 by Pope John Paul II, and he represents 4.3 million Catholics. He has made immigration an important cause, speaking as recently as Ash Wednesday about his plans to travel to Washington "to encourage Congress and our President to take active steps to pass meaningful, just and humane, comprehensive immigration reform legislation during 2007— reform that will keep families together and give children the opportunity to live happy lives, and grow to achieve their dreams without the fear of losing their parents or not having access to the tools to succeed."

It will be illuminating to see whether a Congress that is now controlled by the Democrats will be able to pass the immigration overhaul that eluded President Bush during his first six years in office, when his own party controlled the Congress. The advisory from Mr. Kennedy reports that the senator is hoping soon to introduce immigration legislation together with Senator McCain and with Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Rep. Jeff Flake. The last time those four got together on a draft immigration law it was a good package that would have substantially increased legal immigration to America.

Our own regret is that these efforts are being led by congressmen from Arizona and Massachusetts and Illinois rather than from the state of New York, which has traditionally been the national gateway of immigration. Senator Schumer sits on the judiciary committee, which has oversight on immigration. Mr. Schumer's new book calls for a 50% increase in the amount of legal immigration, with a concomitant reduction in illegal immigration.

Mr. Schumer writes that he used to think that illegal immigrants take "jobs away from Americans by working for lower pay and no benefits," but that his views have changed on the issue. The Schumer book tells the story of Napoleon Barragan, founder of the successful New York business 1-800-Mattress and an immigrant to America from Ecuador. Writes Mr. Schumer, "Motivated people who are willing to leave their families and their lives behind for a chance to make it here are good for America. Legal immigrants fill gaps in our labor market, start small businesses and become Americans. Immigration is a critical source of our country's strength."

The online editor of the New York Sun, Ryan Sager, observed recently that the 2008 presidential election will be fought and won in the intermountain West, in states such as New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, with large Hispanic populations. The 2008 presidential candidates are staking out positions on the issue, with Senator McCain taking a leadership role on behalf of immigrants that some warn could backfire in the Republican primary. His rival among the Republicans, Mayor Giuliani, staked out a pro-immigrant position as mayor of New York, a pulpit from which another potential 2008 presidential contender, Michael Bloomberg, has also been advocating on behalf of increased legal immigration and, by the way, doing so with great eloquence.

Our own preference would be for Congress to increase the limits sooner rather than later, so as to address both the labor shortage and the problem of a population of illegal immigrants so large that it has begun to erode the rule of law. If Congress fails to act this year, we wouldn't be surprised to see the issue emerge in 2008 as one on which a pro-immigrant Republican or Independent candidate such as Mr. McCain, Mr. Giuliani, or Mr. Bloomberg, has an opportunity to flog the Democrats for failing to pass legislation on the issue even though they had a majority in both houses and a supportive president.

Cardinal Mahony is too shrewd to get himself mired in partisan politics, but it can't have escaped him that if the immigration issue is played correctly, it could put California's 2008 electoral votes in the column of a candidate such as Mr. Bloomberg or Mr. Giuliani. Both of them have recently spent time in the Golden State visiting with the governor, who is an immigrant from Austria. Next visit, they might want to stop and see Cardinal Mahony — there's no reason to leave this issue to Ted Kennedy.

Here's a three page article on Mr. Holier Than Thou. I think he should be deported with all the illegals

http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/cardi ... uths/1101/


first few paragraphs......

Cardinal Untruths
Mahony’s testimony in sex scandal clashes with earlier statements and reality

By Jeffrey Anderson
Thursday, December 16, 2004 - 12:00 am
Confidential documents and sworn statements by Cardinal Roger Mahony were released last week, ending two years of legal maneuvers to shield "his eminence" from examination in the Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal. The cardinal’s testimony, memos and letters offer a rare glimpse into Mahony’s formative years as a priest and young bishop in Fresno and Stockton from 1962 to 1985, and reflect on his moral standing as shepherd of 5 million Catholics in Los Angeles and ranking prelate in the United States.

Mahony emerges as a man of contradictions and memory problems. A man who claims never to have known a priest to have sex before 1968, who struggles to remember steps he took — or did not take — to address a pedophilia crisis of epic proportions. A man whose fitness to lead must now be examined in light of whether he is telling the truth or not.

Compelled by the court after months of resistance, Mahony was deposed recently at his lawyer’s office in downtown Los Angeles. Five lawyers representing hundreds of sex-abuse victims questioned Mahony for six hours about how he responded to accusations that priests in his charge had molested children. His stubborn refusal to answer all questions with candor was a virtual dare to his adversaries to dig deeper for the truth.

Victims who witnessed the deposition struggled to contain their emotions as Mahony’s attorneys coached the cardinal and cajoled victims’ lawyers, who in their blunt questioning conveyed a sense of moral outrage on behalf of people whose lives were ruined by a priest who might have been stopped had the cardinal done more. At stake was not only the tenuous negotiations of hundreds of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, or the pending prosecution of a few rogue priests, or even the possibility of broader conspiracy charges against Mahony and his colleagues, but the credibility of the last remaining symbol of influence, power and authority in the U.S. Catholic Church.

Who cares what NAMBLA Mahony thinks? He has no moral authority and his "church" is a foreign government located in the nation of Vatican City that has its own diplomatic corps. It's a city-state that notoriously signed concordats (treaties) with Hitler and that raises tax revenues for its government on US soil.

All of a sudden the Catholic Church is of importance???? I thought they were shunned! Unbelievable how you can be resurrected if you act like a liberal entity!

With all due respect.

Tell me Father, tell me that Mexico and Latin America isn't the womb of Catholics destined for the resurrection of the church in the U.S.

Which law of the land do you choose to obey today and which will you disobey tomorrow?

Freedom of religion does not relate to Vatican influence in our halls of government.

Our tax dollars are not to be used to support the invasion of Parishioners for the promotion of Catholicism in America.

I find it odd that foxnews and O'reilly doesn't speak out about this Catholic Mahony. O'reilly is Catholic, so is Kenndy they are all in bed together with Mahony. I say send out a boycott of Foxnews!! Fair and balanced my foot.

JJ

Separation of church and state anyone? HA! This guy has the largest law suit ever filed for sex crimes going on and he is an expert in human rights?

As a side note, the Catholic Diocese in San Diego has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to pay for or avoid having to pay for 140 law suits for sex crimes. Sad, sad, sad.

Isn't there something wrong in these pictures? Just IMO.

Mr. Schumer writes that he used to think that illegal immigrants take "jobs away from Americans by working for lower pay and no benefits," but that his views have changed on the issue. The Schumer book tells the story of Napoleon Barragan, founder of the successful New York business 1-800-Mattress and an immigrant to America from Ecuador. Writes Mr. Schumer, "Motivated people who are willing to leave their families and their lives behind for a chance to make it here are good for America. Legal immigrants fill gaps in our labor market, start small businesses and become Americans.

Nice transition from illegal to legal, without even breaking into a sweat.

Legal, illegal, citizen, non-citizen. Apparently to our elites none of this is of any significance whatsoever.