When Pope Francis’s coffin was sealed on Friday in St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Roger Mahony was among the official witnesses.
If you are wondering why that matters, well, suffice it to say Mahony’s presence sends a signal.
Mahony was archbishop of Los Angeles for more than a quarter century, from 1985 to 2011, during which he grossly mismanaged abuse cases and even shielded priests who had abused children.
To Catholics in the United States, especially, Mahony is not only a face of the scandal but a totem of the ongoing leadership crisis plaguing the Church.
The ceremonial reason for Mahony’s official role in the solemn occasion on Friday is that he is among the most senior “cardinal priests” in the College of Cardinals, which is divided into three ranks: Cardinal Deacons, who are the most junior members of the College; Cardinal Priests; and Cardinal Bishops, in general the most senior.
There was no necessary or non-derogable reason for him to have taken part in the business.
Mahony could have done the decent thing and demurred as he did in 2018, after public outcry over his unfortunate appointment as papal legate to the sesquicentennial celebrations for the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
That was a cack-handed appointment over which people were more than merely nonplussed, and Mahony–not without a little help–found literally anywhere else on earth to be that day, but it was not so in Rome on Friday.
What signal does it send, then?
As Kathryn Jean Lopez noted in a piece for the National Review, the cardinal archbishop-emeritus of Los Angeles wasn’t the only American whose presence was something of a head-scratcher. The Camerlegno of the Holy Roman Church, who presided over the sealing rites and is responsible for the day-to-day operations in the Vatican during the interregnum, is none other than Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
Farrell began his ecclesiastical career as a Legionary of Christ, the congregation founded by the notorious Fr. Marcial Maciel, who used the priestly society he had founded as a respectable façade and a slush fund for his perverse double life. Maciel allegedly abused scores of victims, among them minors, seminarians, and his own illegitimate children, whom he had with at least two different women, whom he seduced under assumed names and false pretenses.
Farrell left the Legion before the mid-1980s, when he joined the clergy of the Archdiocese of Washington. Farrell said he “had intellectual differences” with the Legion, but “never knew anything back then,” about Maciel, in a 2016 interview with the Irish Times.
“[M]aybe I would have met Maciel once or twice, but I never suspected anything.”
In 2001—not a year after Theodore Edgar “Uncle Ted” McCarrick came into the see of Washington, DC—Farrell, who was DC’s Vicar General by that point, became an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese. Farrell would serve as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia in the capital see until Pope Benedict XVI gave him his own in Dallas, TX.
Pope Francis brought Farrell to Rome in 2016 to head the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, and gave him a red hat.
When news of McCarrick’s depravities began to emerge in the summer of 2018, Farrell repeatedly denied having the slightest suspicion of his former principal, even though he had worked closely with McCarrick for many years and had even shared an apartment with him.
“People can say, ‘Well you must be a right fool that you didn’t notice.’ I must be a right fool,” Farrell told the Associated Press, “but I don’t think I am—and that’s why I feel angry.”
Either Farrell really never suspected anything, or he suspected something. Either way, it is reasonable to wonder at the trust placed in him.
So, perhaps the signal is white noise: Business as usual in the Vatican. After all, neither Farrell nor Mahony was ever convicted of a crime. Business as usual, however, is intolerable.
In another week or so, the cardinal electors will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the successor to Francis—the successor to Peter—and they will stand before God and each other as they cast their votes, swearing: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who is to judge me, that I choose him whom according to God I judge ought to be elected.”
Let an enlightened and clear-eyed understanding of the state of Church leadership culture inform their choice.
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They are all liars and hypocrites, everyone of them,from Bergoglio, McCarrick, Mahoney, and McElroy all the way down. The incontestable proof available to all is their knowledge and complicity in shielding sexual abusers from criminal prosecution. As Altieri bravely notes, the signal has now been sent that it is business as usual. I shudder to contemplate the likely outcome of this conclave.
Paul, I totally agree with you. But, it has been “business as usual” for the last 30 years with the bishops. Francis isn’t the only Pope to have failed to put his foot down and stomped this abomination which has negatively affected the teaching authority of the Church among many Catholics. Indeed, a later comment about the bishops being prideful is so true. Regardless, the clericalism of the Church has been destroying it and the next Pope must do something very decisive if not radical to curtail it.
All I can conclude is that far too many of our bishops are: prideful and lack the capacity to experience shame on a personal level.
Deacon, I agree with you. This pride is arrogance at the extreme and is destroying the Church as it effects its teaching authority. Excellent and concise comment.
Thank you. These friends of Franciscus have no interest in being our loving fathers.
Regarding Mahony: https://www.bishop-accountability.org/2025/04/us-cardinal-accused-of-covering-up/
And as for Farrell, McCarrick’s roommate, #$&@%!!!
KING HENRY IV
I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers;
How ill white hairs become a fool and jester!
I have long dream’d of such a kind of man,
So surfeit-swell’d, so old and so profane;
But, being awaked, I do despise my dream.
Make less thy body hence, and more thy grace;
Leave gormandizing; know the grave doth gape
For thee thrice wider than for other men.
Reply not to me with a fool-born jest…
Yes, of course, the unofficial motto of the Pontiff Francis = business as usual.
Therefore, it is most fitting that the “gangster-Cardinal” Roger Mahony, who in 2013 played a central role in ushering in “the great reformer” the Pontiff Francis (and couldn’t resist telling us all about it, in hushed tones if how the Holy Spirit was moving his pen in hand, to “miraculously” cast his vote for Jorge Bergoglio), should put the last nail in his coffin, and usher him out, completing their collaboration as sanctimonious ecclesiastical coverup artists.
In 2003, Governor Frank Keating, who was Chair of the Lay Review Board investigating the sex abuse crisis in the US Catholic Church, called the Cardinal Mahony a mafiosi, for his refusal to share sex abuse information with the Review Board. Leon Panetta, also a member the Review Board, said that when they went to interview Cardinal Mahony, he never saw so many lawyers walk into one room.
As one of several “memorial reports” of this episode in the continuing “friends-of-Pontiff-Francis-Cardinals-coverup-charades,” we can read this report, from 2003:
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2003_01_06/2003_06_17_Darcy_WithNo.htm
And as a coda, while the coffin of Pontiff Francis makes its way to its final destination, we can recall the “sacramental endorsement” given to us all (by another recently deceased ecclesiastical character) upon the election of Pontiff Francis: “I am very prejudiced, I’m very biased, this is an extraordinary man, the one whom God has given us as Pope” (Theodore McCarrick).
It’s also fitting to have “the unsuspecting” Eminence Cardinal Kevin Farrell presiding over the entire “funeral affair for the Pontiff Francis,” a man who himself has managed his career ascent by serving as right-hand man for 3 of the homerun-hitters of the sex abuse network: Maciel, the McCarrick, and then Pontiff Francis.
And so, as one very reliable man commanded us, some 2000 years ago: “Let the dead bury the dead.”
Years ago while studying the Renaissance, I came across the usual litany of scoundrels among the popes, bishops, cardinals, etc. But I also rediscovered the saints
who made it through those times. The saints still came. That could be said of any time in the history of the Church.
Grace and holiness remain in the Church even if they are not concentrated in the hierarchy.
It seems that in the church and state, the elites are the most easily corrupted.
Agree Francy.
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority.”
Lord Acton
Fitting that the gangster-Cardinal Mahony, who was vey vocal about the miraculous role played in helping usher in the Pontiff Francis, is called upon to usher him out.
It was Governor Frank Keating, in 2003, as chair of the Lay Review Board investigating the sex abuse crisis, who first revealed to us that Mahony was a gangster in the “sex abuse coverup mafiosi. Here is one of several reports memorializing Mahony’s legacy:
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2003_01_06/2003_06_17_Darcy_WithNo.htm
Business as usual…that is…for men like the Pontiff Francis…and “his team.”
Altieri exposes the self-vindication of the old McCarrick guard. A unexpected [for this writer] shadowy sign for hope of the moral recovery of our Church. Sandra Miesel’s premonition may indeed come true [a friendly wager with editor Olson]. Our faith, intercessionary prayer should all the more be strengthened.
I’be delighted to be wrong, I assure you! And I am praying for a good new pope.
So what was Sandra’s premonition? If you really want it to NOT come true just reveal it to us ;-)))
I expect the next pope to be worse and have a bet with our esteemed editor on this outcome. But please, Lord, may I be wrong!
Maybe it will be enough to elect a willing Pope who can visit home without having to explain why he made a mess.
The Francis regime is reminding us that it is still in control. As is typical with these people, they are also rubbing it in our faces. If McCarrick were still alive, they would have invited him. They have no intention of going quietly in the night no matter who is elected pope.
The ship «Saint Peter» has effectively been steered onto a reef by the previous helmsman.
Whoever gets to be in charge will need considerably more than public manifestations of «humility» to get the vessel of a confused and bewildered faithful afloat.
May we have an orthodox Vicar of Christ indifferent to the ephemera of temporal media and the images it confects?
A wise and holy Pontifex Maximus who occupies the Chair of Saint Peter, confidently, awesomely, tremendously, purposefully and unapologetically?
«He who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exemplity the highest things»
Pope Gregory I»
A prelate of the church protecting sexual predators during Francis’ papacy? I’m shocked! Who would have thought. Next you’ll be telling me that 2+2=4.
It sends a signal: the old boys’ perv-protecting network intends to make another stand to continue status quo that taints the Church and compromises her moral witness.
McCarrick, Mahony, McElroy. The Three (M)usketeers and our sexual swashbucklers.
What about Weuerl, Cupich….
J.M.J.
And yet, we can know through both Faith and reason, depending on which way each cardinal votes, and no longer being able to claim ignorance of the matter at hand, which Cardinals are part of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, residing in the Unity Of The Holy Ghost, The Eternal Divine Love between The Father And The Son, and which are counterfeit cardinals, residing in the counterfeit church, with its counterfeit magisterium, that for sometime now has been attempting to subsist within The One Body Of Christ while denying The Unity Of The Holy Ghost and thus the fact that “It is not possible to have Dacramental Communion without Ecclesiastical Communion”, due to The Unity Of The Holy Ghost; for it is Through Christ, With Christ, And In Christ, Oh God Almighty Father, In The Unity Of The Holy Ghost (Filioque), that Holy Mother Chirch exists.
Error has no rights but it can often illuminate that which Is True, Christ Is The Light Who Shines In The Darkness, And The Darkness Will Not Overcome Him. His Light Shines On The True Church Of Christ🙏✝️💕🌹
That should read, “It is not possible to have Sacramental Communion without Ecclesiastical Communion, due to The Unity Of The Holy Ghost (Filioque), for It Is “Through Christ, With Christ, And In Christ, Oh God, Almighty Father, In The Unity Of The Holy Ghost (Filioque), that Holy Mother Church, outside of which there is no Salvation, as affirmed by The Unity Of The Holy Ghost(Filioque ), Exists.
May Pope Francis rest in peace and may his cohorts be driven from the temple. Please, Lord, lead us out of the disastrous mess he made and left behind!
Amen.
Another middle digit to ordinary pew sitters.
This is nothing. Covering a sexual abuse and then parading in public is just a symptom of a broad-spectrum abuse (spiritual and emotional), of Christ in His own Church and of the faithful. Of course, it is a bit shameless but again it is nothing new.
To me it is a clear indicator (one of the multitudes) that the shadow Church i.e. made with false selves of people is very well and growing independently on PF. It existed before him and it will go on.
“False self” is a term of clinical psychology used to describe maladaptive mechanics of a psyche which falls into a so-called narcissistic spectrum, closer to its extreme. We all have such false defenses within but in the people of that end of a narcissistic spectrum a false self takes a place of a true, normal self (which is arrested in its development during early years). A person who abuses acts out of the narcissistic/sociopathic needs of his fake self = as a fake, walking fake. Having God above all and the necessity to act this fact out within the Church (especially if they are clergy) had kept such people in check until recently. Since so-called “spirit of Vatican II” (not the Council itself) has hugely done away with reverence, regard for rules and a demand to submit to God, the false selves found in the Church a comfortable place which provides a ready cover for their (abusive) activity. Having a person like Rupnik is unthinkable in the Church which is ardently loving her Bridegroom or at least knows that He is above all. If you truly love Christ this way (i.e. attached to Him) you cannot ignore the victims and a pervert being a priest. I took Rupnik only as a handy example, there are piles of people like this, much milder in their abuse but they spread the poison nevertheless. Being in a position of authority, they are practically invincible – hence the faithful, especially those who love Christ are kind of raped spiritually and emotionally (mostly in a covert way). Having a notorious for his cover up of abuse clergy member playing a key role in the Church ceremony is a form of a rape, of a moral sense of the faithful and of WHAT the Church is supposed to be. ON the other hand, for entitled people (i.e. of the narcissistic spectral” it is entirely normal because they have no moral sense. Make no mistake – they do not relate to you. You are, with your “feelings” are nothing to them. I am speaking of the reality know to all who are familiar with this phenomenon, of a fake self.
The only thing which can turn the process back is the Church returning to her true Bridegroom and beginning defending His dignity against those people, I mean the laity as well. Defending the dignity of Christ, they also defend their own dignity. I suspect those who try this will be trampled upon but those “trampled upon” make a true Church. As I see it, the end will consist of people who are faithful to Christ publicly witnessing and fighting the covert obliteration of Christ. Their end will be a slow, suffocating silence. Either they will be pushed out of the church or stonewalled or made look like they are mad.
However, it is better to be like that than to cooperate via your own silence with the fake church.
Amen Anna…amen.
I do not understand why the editors feel the need to cherry pick which comments they will post. The comments posted would insinuate that the majority of Catholics disapproved of Pope Francis’ vision of the future of the Catholic Church. I would argue that on the contrary, majority of Catholics were relieved to have a leader/teacher that remained focused on the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, “the only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before
all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from
true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the
Father; through him all things were made. For us men and
for our salvation.” I pray for all of the commenters here who clearly feel discontent and a disconnection from our beautiful Catholic Church. I pray for love, peace and healing, in your hearts, and in your homes.