Los Angeles Archbishop Kept Altar Boy List From Police

More tawdry facts and more examples of the deliberate obstruction of justice have emerged from a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and, as is always the case, the Church clerics responsible have yet to be punished or stripped of titles and perks by the Vatican.  If Pope Francis truly wants to change the Church's approach to sexual abuse of children, a good place to start would be to toss Archbishop Roger Mahony out of the Church and deny him a cushy retirement.  Sadly, we should not hold our breath to see any such justice done.  Meanwhile, in settling the last round of lawsuits, the Archdiocese has paid out $740 million in settlements.  Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

When Los Angeles police were investigating allegations of child abuse by a Roman Catholic priest in 1988, they asked for a list of altar boys at the last parish where the priest worked.

Archbishop Roger Mahony told a subordinate not to give the list, saying he didn't want the boys to be scarred by the investigation and that he felt the altar boys were too old to be potential victims, according to a deposition made public Wednesday.

The detectives investigating allegations against Nicolas Aguilar Rivera, a visiting Mexican priest, ultimately got the names of  the boys from parish families. They determined the priest molested at least 26 boys during his 10 months in Los Angeles, according to the priest's confidential archdiocese file and police records made public by attorneys for the victims.

Twenty-five of the alleged victims were altar boys and the 26th was training with the priest to be one, said Anthony DeMarco, a plaintiff attorney. It's not clear what impact Mahony's action had on the investigation, though at the time police complained that the archdiocese wasn't fully cooperating.

Mahony's deposition was obtained by The Associated Press and is part of the evidence included in a settlement of abuse claims against Aguilar Rivera and four other priests. The archdiocese, the nation's largest, agreed to pay $13 million to 17 victims.

Mahony, who was elevated to cardinal and retired in 2011, maneuvered behind the scenes with his top aide, Monsignor Thomas Curry, to shield molester priests, provide damage control for the church and keep parishioners in the dark.

When the files were released, prosecutors said the cases fell outside the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of any church officials.

Mahony's sworn testimony in the case of Aguilar Rivera is significant because it's the first time he has been questioned under oath about clergy abuse since the confidential church files were released. During past depositions, attorneys haven't had documents to back up their questions, DeMarco said.  "This time when he's trying to do the `I don't remember' routine, I put the document in front of him and said, `You wrote this, right?'" he said.

Aguilar Rivera was accused in January 1988 by two families who told church officials that he had fondled their children and, in one instance, climbed into bed with a boy after drinking too much during a Christmas celebration at the family's home.

The priest was told about the complaints by Curry and fled to Mexico before police were notified. He remains a fugitive and is believed to be in Mexico.  

Church files released last year show that Mahony ordered Curry to withhold the altar boy list from the LAPD.

There's more in the article on efforts made to obstruct justice and protect predator priests. The take away?  How can anyone moral and decent remain an active Catholic?  The institution's leadership is morally bankrupt.