Monsignor testified before grand jury in L.A. church abuse case

The former vicar of clergy for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles testified under a grant of immunity last week before a federal grand jury probing the church’s role in sexual abuse by priests, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Msgr. Richard Loomis, whose responsibilities as a high-ranking aide to Cardinal Roger M. Mahony included overseeing sexual abuse cases against fellow priests, testified last Wednesday under “use immunity,” meaning his testimony cannot be used against him in a criminal prosecution, said the source, who asked not to be named because grand juries are confidential. 

 A “use immunity” agreement would not protect Loomis from being prosecuted based on statements made outside his grand jury testimony.

The source said other members of the church hierarchy “are being called, or in line to come” before the grand jury. “It’s not [Loomis] alone,” the source said.

Archdiocese attorney J. Michael Hennigan said he was not aware of any other grand jury subpoenas of church officials. He said he has been informed that Mahony is not a target of the inquiry. Law enforcement sources have told The Times that the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles had launched a grand jury investigation in connection with Mahony’s response to the molestation of children by priests in the archdiocese.

Loomis testified at a civil deposition earlier this year that Mahony ordered him in 2000 not to contact police about allegations of sexual abuse by a priest. Loomis was testifying under questioning by civil attorney John C. Manly in a case involving the now-defrocked Rev. Michael Baker, who has since been convicted and sentenced to a 10-year prison term for molestation.

Mahony has said Baker’s case “troubles” him the most, and has publicly apologized for having allowed the priest to remain in the ministry. Baker was called to testify before the grand jury this year, The Times has reported. 

Manly also said he was told by Loomis' civil attorney that he had appeared before the grand jury. That attorney declined to comment.

 -- Richard Winton and Victoria Kim

Comments

[Leslie]

I am so tired of the Catholic hierarchy pretending to take the high road on abortion. Why do they care at all about the life of the unborn when they are so willing to abuse and degrade the already born, and then systematically lie about it? What other organization on the planet can raise money tax free to pay civil damages for permitting criminal sexual conduct among their employees spanning many decades?

Do these men in robes really think God is going to think that protecting pedophiles is His work?

I cannot understand the logic employed by the church hierarchy. They owe every grassroots Catholic and any non-Catholics who have supported the mission of the Church a huge apology. I can barely bring myself to donate to the Knights of Columbus when they fundraise, because it makes me ill to think my money might be supporting a child molester.

[LMZ]

Roger Mahoney and his archdiocese are doing the work of the devil!!!

[Bart]

Let me get this.

No one is saying that the hierarchy of the Catholic church abused anyone. Only that they did not fully cooperate as the government wanted them to in incriminating fellow priests who may have molested kids.

And now the full power and weight of the federal government will be brought to bear to try to find a crime to convict them of. As the case with Bill Clinton proved, if you have a federal prosecutor on you with unlimited tax money to spend, they WILL find a crime to convict you of. The only question now is what trumped up charge it will be.

And of course it is that most hated of all institutions involved here: the Catholic church that has only been feeding, educating and caring for the sick for 2000 years. So I say let's get them all now.

[Nico78]

Hence why I do not attend church....any of them.

[StargateKansas]

Please stop donating. Any organization that stands in support of the abuse of children and vulnerable adults,which enables this centuries old conspiracy of silence, has not heard the message brought by Christ or has chosen to ignore it.

[Victoria Martin]

As a Survivor of sexual victimization by a Catholic Priest, I would like to believe that, wherever this Grand Jury Investigation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles leads, it will eventually lead to the truth....Something that is virtually unknown to the leaders of this "Multi-Headed Hydra" that is the Roman Catholic Church. We know that Catholic children, young people and vulnerable have been denied their rights as human beings, and (Spiritually) as Children of GOD; victimized by the very clergy they were taught to revere and obey.

[Cruz]

I'm sort of at a loss to understand why it is anyone in the hierarchy of the church, the leaders and most holy, would need a grant of immunity for anything. Are they not supposed to be the leaders of the flock, the infallible, the sinless, the most holy, the protectors and misters of the people??

Actually, I'm not at a loss to understand this at all. It simply goes to prove the point that while the principle of having faith in something is important, perhaps vital, to some people the "leaders" of the church are not the ones in whom to place that faith. They are human beings regardless of their rank in the church. If they were so holy, so pure and sinless, so devout they would not need lawyers and grants of immunity to speak.

What a joke.

[Little Grey]

Dear LMZ : Wow you really do not have an open mind about all this do you?

I have too much personal knowledge and experience about the church's cover ups of evidence, blocking prosecutions and investigations. Please do yourself a favor dig dig dig into Mahoney' past. He keeps coming up clean but I dont think anyone needs to "trump" up anything. That would mean its false....dig for yourself and you will discover things the church has to done to hide information about their pedophiles. They have for years sent them out for booze rehab but knowing they were peds. They sent one to a work in a mens prison in Ireland when they knew the Times was gaining on the story. We even had two of the boozer/peds placed in our church. One proceeded to sexually abuse kids in a chicken coop. Take off your blinders, the church has lost so much money and credibility and they did it to themselves. I don't feel sorry for them, nor do I practice religion with any of them. They worship false gods.

[Little Grey]

Cruz: I could not have said it better, you are so right on .

Immunity, that is a joke.