Pigs Fly: Cardinal Mahony bars liberal Aussie bishop from speaking

Wonders never cease, and I'm glad they don't.

Australian Bishop Geoffrey Robinson was recently condemned for "doctrinal difficulties" by the Australian Bishops Conference, and when Voice of the Faithful invited him to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to deliver a lecture, none other than Cardinal Mahony decided to step in:

Cardinal Roger Mahony has denied an Australian bishop permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles after the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a statement warning of “doctrinal difficulties” present in the bishop’s writings. (CNA)

How Cardinal Mahony handled it:

Archbishop of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony in a May 9 letter asked Bishop Robinson not to speak in his archdiocese.

Saying he was “once again” writing regarding Bishop Robinson’s scheduled June 12 speaking engagement in the archdiocese, Cardinal Mahony said, “Your letter informing me of your coming appearance made it clear that you were not seeking my permission or approval, that you were planning to come regardless.”

In his letter, Cardinal Mahony said he had recently learned of the Australian bishops’ statement about the bishop’s book. He also said he had learned that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Prefect for the Congregation of Bishops, has urged Bishop Robinson to cancel his U.S. visit.

Cardinal Mahony requested Bishop Robinson to cancel his visit, citing Canon 763 of Canon Law. The canon pertains to a bishop’s duty to safeguard the teachings of the Church in his diocese.

“Under the provisions of Canon 763, I hereby deny you permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,” the cardinal wrote. He also urged Bishop Robinson to cancel his entire speaking tour and to work with the Australian bishops’ conference, saying he would expect him to “follow exactly” their recommendations.

[update: here is a link with the original full text of the Cardinal's letter.]

Let's ponder what this means: Cardinal Mahony has chosen to use his authority as a bishop under canon law to "safeguard the teachings of the Church in his diocese" when a dissenting bishop was invited to speak by a (dissenting) private Catholic group.

Even if the Cardinal was motivated by a fear that Bishop Robinson was being disrespectful of his authority, the bottom line is that Cardinal Mahony did the correct thing, and a brave one. He even managed to get on the bad side of Voice of the Faithful:

Dan Bartley, president of Voice of the Faithful, criticized Cardinal Mahony’s refusal of permission to Bishop Robinson’s Los Angeles lecture.

“Why is a loyal Catholic bishop prevented from asking honest questions in his search for the truth in the aftermath of the worst scandal in the modern Church?” Bartley said.

A statement from Voice of the Faithful said the ban would harm the Church, saying Bishop Robinson “obviously loves the Church.” The statement suggested that the Australian bishops’ statement was questionable in its conclusions about Bishop Robinson’s doctrinal stands.

Bishop Robinson is also scheduled to speak in Seattle, San Diego and Boston. It is possible to predict situation where Cardinal Mahony will end up acting with greater integrity than Cardinal O'Malley.

AmP readers have previously criticized my coverage of Cardinal Mahony, saying that I am too harsh and never have anything good to say about him. However, the fact of the matter is that I'm only happy to say good things about him provided I think he has acted for the best interest of the Church - which he is solemnly charged to safeguard. Sadly, most of the stories that cross my desk have not been of this sort. But here is one of those (rare) occasions where I can praise a decision of this Cardinal's.

What could account for this anomaly? It makes me think back to this post I wrote a few weeks ago, commenting upon an editorial that Cardinal Mahony published saying he was a "different disciple" after the pope's visit. Specifically he said that he had gained a realization of his "own mistakes and failures over the years" and that these represented a "weight that I failed to realize was holding me down."

At the time, I expressed my skepticism that such a realization might actually be the case, but I also said at the same time: "I dearly hope that Mahony's change of heart is authentic and bears fruit through internal and external reform." Well, The best sign of an internal change of heart is changed external action, and now we have one.

Time will tell, but let's hope this wonder never ceases.

(A little more backstory is available at CathNews. Photo credit: CNA.)

update: This author thinks Mahony acted more out of annoyance because his authority was being ignored than a true interest in safekeeping doctrinal integrity in his archdiocese. What do you think?