Roger Mahony facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Eminence Roger Michael Mahony KGCHS
Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles
Cardinal Mahony in March 2006
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Appointed	July 12, 1985
Enthroned	September 5, 1985
Predecessor	Timothy Manning
Successor	José Horacio Gómez
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Quattro Coronati
Orders
Ordination	May 1, 1962
Consecration	March 19, 1975 by Hugh Aloysius Donohoe, William Robert Johnson, and John Stephen Cummins
Created Cardinal	June 28, 1991
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	(1936-02-27) February 27, 1936 (age 89) Los Angeles, California, US
Denomination	Catholic Church
Parents	Victor and Loretta Mahony
Previous post	Bishop of Stockton (1980–1985) Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno and Titular Bishop of Tamascani< (1975–1980)
Education	Catholic University of America
Motto	To reconcile God's people

Roger Michael Mahony (born February 27, 1936) is a retired American Catholic leader. He served as the archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011. An archbishop is a high-ranking bishop who leads a large area called an archdiocese.

Born in Los Angeles, Mahony became a priest in 1962. He later became a bishop in Fresno and then Stockton, California. In 1985, Pope John Paul II made him the archbishop of Los Angeles. He was the first person born in Los Angeles to hold this important job. In 1991, the Pope made him a cardinal, one of the highest positions in the Catholic Church.

As archbishop, Mahony led the building of the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. However, he was also criticized for how he handled serious problems with priests in the archdiocese. It was discovered that he moved priests who had harmed people to new churches instead of reporting them. In 2007, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles apologized and paid a large settlement of $660 million to over 500 people who had been harmed.

Mahony retired in 2011. In 2013, his successor, Archbishop José Horacio Gómez, removed him from all public duties because of his role in the scandal.

Early Life and Education

Roger Mahony was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on February 27, 1936. He has a twin brother, Louis, and an older brother, Neil. He went to St. Charles Borromeo Grammar School in North Hollywood.

To become a priest, he studied at Our Lady Queen of Angels Seminary and St. John's Seminary. He was officially made a priest on May 1, 1962. After that, he earned a Master's degree in Social Work from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. For many years, he worked in churches and taught social work at Fresno State University.

Career in the Church

Mahony's coat of arms on the special bishop's chair, called a cathedra, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (2008).

Bishop in Fresno and Stockton

In 1975, Pope Paul VI appointed Mahony as an auxiliary bishop of Fresno. An auxiliary bishop helps the main bishop of a diocese. That same year, California Governor Jerry Brown chose him to lead the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. This group helped solve disagreements between farmworkers and farm owners.

In 1980, Pope John Paul II made him the Bishop of Stockton. While he was bishop there, Mahony faced serious issues with a priest named Oliver O'Grady. Parents reported that O'Grady had harmed their children. Instead of removing him, Mahony moved O'Grady to different parishes, where more problems occurred. Years later, a court ordered the diocese to pay $30 million to two of the people O'Grady had harmed.

Archbishop of Los Angeles

Cardinal Mahony with U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson in 2008.

In 1985, Mahony became the Archbishop of Los Angeles. He was the first person from the city, known as an Angeleno, to lead the archdiocese. In 1991, Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal. This gave him the important job of helping to elect a new pope. He voted in the elections for Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.

Major Projects and Decisions

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the old cathedral, Mahony started a project to build a new one. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels cost $190 million. Some people were upset by the modern design and high cost.

Mahony explained that the money came from donations, not from local churches. He said the city needed a main "mother church" to bring people together. The new cathedral, one of the largest in the U.S., opened in 2002.

Sale of a Rare Book Collection

In 1987, Mahony decided to sell a collection of rare books that had been donated to St. John's Seminary. The collection included a very valuable Gutenberg Bible. Mahony said the archdiocese needed the money and that it was expensive to insure the books.

The sale raised $37.8 million. The money was supposed to be for training new priests. However, reports later showed that millions of dollars were spent on other things, including $1 million to update Mahony's home.

Later Years and Retirement

Mahony retired in 2011 when he turned 75, the required age for bishops. Archbishop José H. Gómez took his place. In retirement, Mahony said he wanted to work on issues related to immigrants.

In 2013, Archbishop Gómez announced that Mahony could no longer perform public duties. This was because of the release of church files that showed how Mahony had protected priests who had misbehaved. Mahony was still a priest but could no longer act as a bishop in public, for example, by leading confirmation ceremonies.

Despite this, Mahony participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. Some groups protested his involvement because of the scandal.

Mahony's Views on Important Issues

Immigration

Mahony has been a strong supporter of immigrants. In 2006, he spoke out against a proposed law that would have made it a crime to help undocumented immigrants. He said he would tell priests and church members to ignore the law if it passed. He believed Congress was to blame for not fixing the country's immigration problems.

Films and TV

In 1992, Mahony wrote a letter about movies and television called Film Makers, Film Viewers. He did not support censoring films. Instead, he asked filmmakers to focus on "human values" and be thoughtful when showing difficult topics.

The Mass

In 1997, Mahony wrote a guide for Sunday Mass called "Gather Faithfully Together." He wanted every church to plan its services carefully to help people deepen their faith.

See also

In Spanish: Roger Michael Mahony para niños

Episcopal succession