New testimony sheds light on Mahony's role in notorious priest abuse case [Updated]

Testimony by Cardinal Roger Mahony made public Tuesday gives the clearest account to date of how he handled the notorious case of Father Michael Baker, who is serving a 10-year prison term for sexually abusing children.

Mahony has long said he made mistakes in allowing Baker to stay in his ministry when child-abuse allegations first surfaced in 1986.

But in the deposition, taken Jan. 25 as part of a civil case against Baker and the archdiocese by an alleged victim, Mahony answered numerous questions about his failure to alert police or warn Baker’s parishes about the sex abuse allegations.

Soon after Mahony arrived in Los Angeles in 1985, Baker told the archbishop that he had molested boys.

But instead of urging the Vatican to remove Baker from the priesthood, Mahony moved him around to various parishes, where he molested more children.

Asked during the deposition why he didn’t take firmer action against Baker or alert authorities, the cardinal said he was misled by Baker and defended his own inaction as consistent with church policy at the time.

"The challenge is trying to look at 1986 through the lenses of 2010," Mahony told attorney John Manly, explaining that more proactive measures are taken now after reports of abuse.

[Updated at 3:15 p.m.: Mahony spokesman Tod Tamberg pointed out that Mahony first sent Baker to a church treatment facility in New Mexico after learning of his abuses, before reassigning him to limited ministries elsewhere in the archdiocese.] The transcript of Mahony’s deposition in the lawsuit filed by the victim, known only as Luis C, details questioning of the cardinal about incidents in which a young boy was seen descending from the rectory staircase leading to Baker’s bedroom and the confessed pedophile performed baptisms in direct violation of archdiocese orders that he have no contact with children.

Tamberg, who was present for the questioning of the cardinal, said there was “nothing of substance” revealed by his testimony.

The church fought release of the documents on principle, Tamberg said, as the deposition was taken in a case that has since been settled out of court for $2.2 million.

The Los Angeles Archdiocese three years ago paid $660 million to more than 500 people who had sued claiming sexual abuse by priests or other church officials, the largest settlement in the clergy sex abuse scandal that has plagued the Catholic Church for the last 30 years.

Mahony issued a statement after the deposition transcript was released, saying that the information wasn’t new but that he wanted to apologize again to Baker’s victims and the community.

“I believed too readily in Baker’s contrition, and in our ability to treat and monitor him effectively,” the cardinal said. “The past has informed the present, however, and I have made sure that our sexual abuse prevention policies and procedures will keep our children and young people safe from predators like Michael Baker.”

-- Carol J. Williams

Photo: Baker in court. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Sofia]

Yes, archbishop, the times are different. For one thing, law enforcement no longer just takes the offending pedophile to the bishop instead of to jail where he belongs as had been done since the church and state became wedded together in the time of Constantine. Since "secular" law enforcement no longer covers for your "canon" laws, you are forced to view these matters through a different lens. Second, many of your congregants finally decided they had had enough and began to report the abuse. At some point, many may decide they are also unwilling to "pay" for your crimes and significant lapse in moral judgement.

The people cannot bear unjust conduct -- from anyone --- forever.

[MaxersLA]

OK, so let me get this straight... in 1986 child molestation was more tolerated than it is now? I dont care if its THREE HUNDRED YEARS ago!!! It wouldnt make a bit of difference!!

And... church "law" takes precedence over federal crimes in Mahoneys eyes? In 1986 child molestation was just as much a felony as it is now, church law should have played a ZERO factor with him. NO wonder why he stands arm and arm with illegal immigrants... this man has ZERO respect for the laws of this land and if there was any justice in the world he would be serving time as an accomplice... I mean, if I knew my employee was molesting children and I not only didnt tell anyone but actually covered it up, would I get the same leniency?

Has Mahoney EVER APOLOGIZED to the families??? EVER?!?!?

[frankiefrank]

Oh, I get it. According to Mahoney, molesting kids wasn't against church policy in 1986. It only became policy in 2010. Makes a whole lot of sense to me.

[TheBigPicture]

That may have been consistent with Church policy; however, it clearly wasn't consistent with the law at the time...He should be arrested for aiding and abetting by assisting the main culprit to avoid judicial process...

That's quite a policy...Assisting predator priest by placing them in a target (victim) rich environment where they can commit 10 fold the crimes...

and Mahony hasn't been run out of town yet....

[Patriot]

His most sacred duty was and is to protect the children who were entrusted to the care of the Church. This is disgraceful - and criminal.

[Clare]

Yeah, let's look at it through a 1986 lens where no one cared and it was not only covered up, but accepted. The different is in the 2010 lens you bastards got caught.

[Eric of Reseda]

My God!!! Mahony is a monster! Church policy in 1986 is completely irrelevent under these circumstances. To defend oneself on those grounds is clear evidence that Mahoney is a sociopath...as is the Pope, and all these sick, perverted Catholic clergymen involved in these acts of abuse and cover-up! We knew in 1986 that buggering little boys was some of the worst kind of criminal behavior, Mr. Mahoney! Certainly, shuffling abusers around to hide their criminality and enable them to commit more crimes wasn't church policy either. Mr. Mahoney, you are a liar and a criminal and purely despicable. Truly evil. let's see if the authorities have the courage to jail this man....

[Rob]

Cardinal Roger Mahony's legacy is his lawyering up to hide the abuse of children by priests.

One alleged abuser in Cardinal Mahony’s archdiocese was Jesuit Fr. Jerold W. Lindner who taught at Loyola High, Los Angeles from the early 1980s until the late 1990s – involved with a student fantasy role-playing group and remote-control car racing.

In 2002 William Lynch said he had suffered nearly three decades of irreparable emotional and psychological harm, and attempted suicide two times, because of what happened to him at the hands of then-theology student Jerold Lindner, S.J. during a church-led, family camping trip in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1975.

Jesuit leaders said they first learned about Lindner’s past in the early 1990s, when Lindner’s brother told them that Lindner had sexually abused three nieces, a nephew and a younger sibling. After sending Lindner for a psychiatric evaluation, Jesuit leaders claimed the allegations not credible and put him back in the classroom at Loyola High School near downtown Los Angeles.

[SAIDZHOFIONI]

IT SEEMES TO ME THAT IN 1986 THSES PEDOPHILES WERE THE SAME AS IN 2010.THESE PRIESTS PROTCTED EACH OTHER ALL ALONG.I DO FEEL WHEN YOU DO CRIME YOU MUST DO TIME. THE LIFE OF ALOT OF YOUNG CHILDREN WERE DESTROYED.THEY WERE MOLESTED AND RAPED BY THESE PRIESTS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.WHO WILL LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF A YOUNG CHILD AGAINST A PRIEST? THEIR CRIME WAS AND IS COVERED UNDER THE FANCY ROBE!!!!!!!!!!WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR YOUNG SON OR DAUGHTER IS MOLESTED OR RAPED? THE TIME HAS COME FOR ALL OF US TO ASK SOME VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FROM THESE PRIESTS!!!!!!!COULD WE TRUST TO LEAVE A YOUNG CHILD ALONE WITH THESE PRIESTS? I WON,T.NO ONE SHOULD BE ABOVE THE LAW , BUT YOU GET THE FEELING THAT THESE PRIESTS FEEL THAT THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW , BUT THEY ARE NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE.
A PERSON WHO HELPS A PEDOPHILE IS JUST AS GUILTY AS THE ONE WHO DID THE CRIME.PLEASE PROTCT YOUR CHILDREN AT ALL COST,THEY ARE OUR FUTURE.

[jon]

This is the man who continues to support criminal immigration and the giving of jobs to illegal immigrants who have engaged in identity theft in order to take jobs from Americans with low levels of education.

[Justice is slow to come.]

Over the years I have listened to Catholics and non-Catholics regarding mahoney's leadership in the whole California scandal. Many feel that he is the ringleader and will never be brought to trial for his ruining of many young people's lives. Hopefully, in the near future someone will come forward with the truth that will lead to mahoney be locked up, finally.

[HiVeloCT]

“I believed too readily in Baker’s contrition, and in our ability to treat and monitor him effectively,” the cardinal said.
------------------------------------------------------
It's called "wishful thinking" and as such has no validity when it concerns such heinous crimes.

[Kent]

I remember back in 1983 or 1984; there was an overnight weekend radio host on 95.5 KLOS (local station in LA) named Michael Benner who spoke about these cover-ups. He revealed that Priests were sent to New Mexico or Maryland for 'treatment' and then sent to other posts. Now it is 25 plus years later and there have been numerous, numerous scandals; LA, Boston, Orange County etc. nationally. Ireland, Mexico, Australia, Germany internationally; just to mention what must be the tips of the icebergs. The question really is; Who is continuing to support the Catholic Church? It is obvious that they have no regard for the victimized children or the laws of the countries where the crimes have been committed. Mahony and Tamberg are just trying to save money, they have no regard for anyone else, it really couldn't be any clearer.

[Norma Villarreal]

(Cardinal) Mahony moved Father Baker around to various parishes since 1986. How many other credibly accused clergy did he shuffle around since then?

[kgoddess]

Bottom line is & has always been that the church will do ANYTHING it feels is necessary to protect itself (ie its money), regardless of secular law or simple morality. If the victims hadn't started coming forward, the church would still be keeping this secret.
And, no, Mahoney has yet to apologize to anybody for anything.
RECOVERING CATHOLIC & PROUD OF IT.

[pjacobs]

Mahoney is pure EVIL!! He put his own blind ambition above the law. All that man cares about is being Pope. He is a disgrace !! He should rot in jail!!

[AL]

@MaxersLA - Equating child abuse to illegal immigration is absolutely stupid, obtuse, ignorant, xenephobic, dumb, unpatriotic, etc. There is no moral equivalence here. Illiegal immigrants are not harming you in any way. You can make stupid claims but the reality is that you and every other person benefits from their willingness to work for lower wages, willingness to do things most people will not do including cleaning your toilet or gardening for you. Child abuse is outright wrong and Mahony's handling of it was atrocious and immoral regardless of church policy. His support of illegal immigration is a completely separate matter and trying to link these two is outright idiotic.

[Norm Silver]

The New Mexico facilty that Mahony referred to is still in operation. It is chuck full of predators and others withsome unusual sexual penchants. If anyone thinks this type of treatment is going to cure or correct abherrant behavior they better rethink that notion. It would be interesting to see what the valid figures are for the success rate from this facility.

[Peter Brown]

Cardinal Mahony put children at risk by allowing this pedophile priest access to them. He chose the politically expedient option rather than make the right moral and legal choice. Then years later, the Archdiocese tried to prevent the public from hearing the truth by concealing names and testimony. Now, youth are paying the price again, with cuts to programs and school closures, like Daniel Murphy Catholic High School. His leadership will forever be considered the Dark Years for the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

[Christine]

This is why I will never give money to the LA archdiocese. Not one penny until the last of these monsters are run out of the church. The year this tragedy occurred in, is irrelevant. How could anyone think child molestation should go unpunished? Does he really think Jesus would have turned a blind eye to raping children? Really?

[Jimmy]

No wonder why the church supports illegal aliens. They make the perfect victims. The priests molests them then has them deported. No victim no crime right?

[Barbara]

The Catholic church attracts strange men to the priesthood because it insists they lead strange lives. Priests should be allowed to marry. Parishioners do not want to be advised on how to live their lives by men who know nothing about a normal life.

I have left the Church. I find I cannot even look at the priests anymore.

[Dirk]

The Catholic Church has always been a front for career pedophiles.

[Upwinger]

The people who also share responsibility for this CONTINUING tragedy are the "good Catholics" who continue to support Roman Catholic heirarchy, including the current and previous pope, ALL of whom knew about and were complicit in perpetrating and/or concealing this scandal. They certainly know now the depths of this depravity that has infected the leaders of the church and for them to continue to support this with their money etc., is no different than supporting any other terrorist organization even if it claims to be religious and occasionally do some good things.

[Ruby Jackson]

The Catholic Church is a secret society for closeted homosexual pedophiles disguised as religion. When are people going to wake up?!

And @AL, you are naive if you think that illegal immigrants aren't hurting anyone. They hurt the economy, the quality of life, the schools, the job market, etc., etc., etc.