Deliver Us From Evil Stirs Prosecutor's Interest in Cardinal Mahoney
Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Lionsgate Films, Celebrities and Controversy, Politics, Toronto International Film Festival, Cinematical Indie
Deliver Us From Evil, director Amy Berg's scathing indictment of Father Oliver O'Grady, a pedophiliac priest who was transferred around northern California for over 20 years while he preyed on young children in his parishes, has created quite a furor in Los Angles and revived interest in the actions of Cardinal Roger Mahony, who directly supervised O'Grady for five of the years he was actively molesting young children. In the film, O'Grady, who now lives in Ireland after being deported from the United States upon completion of a prison sentence for the molestation of two young boys, says that he was able to abuse children for so long in part because of the actions of Cardinal Mahony, who now heads the Los Angeles Archdiocese -- the largest in the country.William Hodgman, top deputy of the target crimes division in Los Angeles, said in the report in the New York Times that the doc "will fuel ongoing consideration as to whether Cardinal Mahony and others engaged in criminal activity." Michael Hennigan, an attorney for the archdiocese, fired back that "If Mr. Hodgman is suggesting in any way that the cardinal is the subject of a criminal investigation, he is being irresponsible and in our judgment is committing prosecutorial misconduct."Mahony was bishop in Stockton from 1980-85, and was responsible for transferring O'Grady around Northern California after accusations of sexual misconduct were raised. The film features footage of Mahony in a videotaped deposition for a civil case in which two Stockton brothers (who were involved in a criminal case against O'Grady) also brought a civil suit against the local diocese. The civil suit alleged that the bishops of the diocese, including Mahony, failed to protect the children of the diocese by not ensuring that O'Grady would not have contact with children. Mahony denied knowing that O'Grady was a pedophile. The jury awarded $30 million to the brothers in that case (an amount later negotiated down to $7 million), and jurors at the time told the media they did not find Mahony's testimony credible. Mahony is also shown in a 2004 deposition related to civil trials in Los Angeles stating that a priest expressing sexual urges for a 9-year-old would not be cause for removing him from duty.
The Catholic Church currently faces a plethora of lawsuits related to sexual abuse by clergy. According to the Times article, there are several ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions against priests in Los Angeles County, and over 500 civil suits, some of which name Cardinal Mahony. Berg said during the Q&A after the screening of her film at the Toronto International Film Festival last month that she approached Mahony and the Los Angeles Archdiocese about being interviewed for her film, and they repeatedly declined.
This is one of the only cases I've ever heard of where a documentary film has the potential to directly affect an ongoing criminal investigation. I've seen the film, which lays out a pretty clear case for Mahony having direct knowledge of O'Grady's pedophilia. O'Grady raped and molested hundreds of children while serving as a priest in California, including a nine-month-old infant. The film details how he was shuttled around from parish to parish whenever accusations against him were raised. What do you think, readers, about the possibility that Berg's documentary could end up finally bringing a sense of justice to at least some of the victims of clergy abuse in California? And how do you feel about a documentary film potentially being used as evidence in a case?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-10-2006 @ 12:00AM
Robert B said...
It has been a lifetime of turmoil the Catholic Church has allowed to happen by ignoring us victims and making us out to be the ones who are looked upon as the ones who have done something wrong.
The Church has thrown every legal obstacle at us to have our voices silenced buy using mans legal system. When things go against the Church they accuse the legal system as picking on them and they only obey Gods law.
They have tried to embarrass us back into hiding but they have underestimated us, the victims of molestation and clergy abuse. Those of us who have been raped and molested by these priests have been robbed of what our lives could have been.
My molester is in jail for a short time and will be released into an area that is close to schools, parks and malls and will if given the chance do this again and again.
Rodger Mahony has hidden the truth from all of us, even his current flock by hiding behind the walls of his Raj Mahal in Los Angeles. This is Rodger Mahony’s own personal Vatican.
My fear is the Pope will call Mahony to Rome to keep him from justice. I hope this all comes to an end soon so we can start the healing process. But by Rodger Mahony hiding the truth and using hundreds of thousand of dollars a month to fight the truth only allowed the abuse to continue.
Rodger Mahony ignores those of us that once were innocent boys and girls who wanted only to serve the church and God only to be abused by some very horrible men.
Thank you Amy Berg for helping us who have been silenced too long. It’s time for Mahony to be held accountable and brought to justice along with his pedophile gang of demonic priests.
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10-10-2006 @ 3:03PM
jmg said...
If there is nothing to hide, the DOC has nothing to reveal...
unfortunately, someone's HANDS ARE DIRTY... and it's been inferred here in los angeles for a VERY LONG TIME.
WHy is Mahoney not receiving the same fate as Law in Boston is puzzling...
THEY've made changes in the archdiocese due to these accusatons... BUT, hindsight is 20/20...
and i've been waiting for 'judgement' to arrive...
Shame... shame... cause at some point even institutions just care about their own SELF-preservation...
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10-10-2006 @ 3:32PM
(Rev.) James F. Moran said...
As a Deacon in 1970 I was raped by a priest in the parish. After MONTHS of discernment I continued on with ordination and have served faithfully for 35 years. In November 2005 I made a moral decision -- I could no longer be an apostle of these bishops (and Cardinals) who covered up, continue to cover up, and take no responsibility for their past actions. I am now on permanent medical disability (chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and depression.) My perp, at the age of 82, goes to trial this month for abusing an 8 year old boy in the early 1990's -- and in April 2006 he was arrested AGAIN for abusing a mentally retarded man.
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10-10-2006 @ 8:10PM
Kay Goodnow said...
Now that the BBC has revealed that the document Crimenes Solicitationes actually exists, and that every bishop in the Corporate Roman Catholic Church keeps a copy of it in a secret file, the obvious inference is that Mahoney had knowledge of, and enabled, sexually immature deviants.
It is time for the leaders in this conspiracy of silence to be investigated under the RICO amendment. They are not above the laws of God, nor are they above the laws of the USA. Let them pay taxes, let them servce time in jail, let them assume responsibility for the damage they have incurred.
KayNKansas
Survivor of (heterosexual) priest abuse, 1952
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10-10-2006 @ 9:56PM
Marie Roderick said...
Shame on Mahony.
Shame on our law enforcement for not handcuffing Mahony and hauling him off to jail pending indictment and/or trial as is what would happen to any of us lay citizens were we accused of such a crime.
Where is the equal justice for all?
At what rhetorical or literal price is the police department so intimidated by the Catholic Church but not intimidated at all by a lay adult accused of the exact same crime? Action is taken within hours against an alleged rapist suspect who is a lay person. However, for alleged rapist suspects who are Catholic clergy, another whole set of rules seems to kick in, permitting delayed or open-ended time frames for arrests, investigations, and compliances. Years of non-compliance with turning over documents is tolerated more leniently than neighborhood complaints of a barking dog.
There is guilt to be shared all around: by those Catholic clergy who commit and cover up the crimes, by the law enforcement officials who fail to exercise their duty, and by the uninvolved innocent bystander who is too busy trying to get through life to devote time, energy and attention to get angry, cry out, and demand action for his fellow man who has been sorely wounded.
Let us be better than our religious leaders.
Let us stand up for our injured brothers.
If Catholics really want to live their religion, let them reclaim their leaders, --MAKE their leaders worthy, by holding them accountable for egregious failures and demanding that they look honestly in the mirror, shape up, and begin to live as decent human beings.
10/10/2006 mr
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