Bizarre: Cardinal Accused Of Covering Sexual Abuse Scandal In Catholic Church Will Help Close Pope Francis Coffin

A U.S. cardinal who was accused of covering up a clerical sexual abuse scandal has been selected to help close Pope Francis’ coffin.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, who previously served as the Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011, was stripped of all administrative duties by LA’s Archbishop Jose H. Gomez in 2013 for allegedly covering up sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

Mahoney was selected as one of the nine cardinals in charge of Pope Francis’ burial.

Anne Barrett Doyle of the group Bishop Accountability is outraged over Mahoney’s selection to partake in teh burial.

She stated, “Shame on him for participating in the public rites for Pope Francis, and shame on the College of Cardinals for allowing him to do so.”

Disgraced US Cardinal Roger Mahony, once sidelined for covering up child abuse, has been chosen to help close Pope Francis’s coffin. His role in this sacred rite has reignited debate over the handling of abuse scandals in the Church.https://t.co/fpk5wzf3PP

— IGIHE (@IGIHE) April 24, 2025

Per Reuters:

Advocates for Catholic clergy sexual abuse victims are criticising the appointment of a retired U.S. cardinal who has been accused of mishandling abuse cases to a ceremonial role in helping seal Pope Francis’ casket and entomb his remains.

Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011, denies any wrongdoing. He will be one of nine cardinals and dozens of other officials overseeing two special rites on Friday and Saturday, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

The rites include the pope’s interment at Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major on Saturday, following his funeral in St. Peter’s Square.

“Shame on him for participating in the public rites for Pope Francis, and shame on the College of Cardinals for allowing him to do so,” said Anne Barrett Doyle of the group Bishop Accountability, which has tracked Catholic clergy abuse for decades.

David Clohessy, a former director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the role “sends the signal to complicit bishops that… they will still be protected and honored by their peers.”

The current archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, initially removed Mahony from all “administrative or public duties” over the mishandling allegations in January 2013, in a rare public rebuke by one Church official of another.

Advocates for Catholic clergy sexual abuse victims are criticizing the appointment of a retired US cardinal who has been accused of mishandling abuse cases to a ceremonial role in helping seal Pope Francis' casket and entomb his remains. For @Reuters: https://t.co/1gGhsZKfUA

— Joshua McElwee (@joshjmcelwee) April 24, 2025

Here’s what CNN reported:

A US cardinal accused of mismanaging clerical sexual abuse has been listed as playing an official role in the ceremonies to close Pope Francis’ coffin and for his burial.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, is among a group of nine cardinals and a small number of priests and bishops set to take part in the rites which will include the pope’s burial at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Mahony, 89, retired as archbishop in 2011. He was relieved of all his official duties in the archdiocese in 2013 – although these duties were not specified.

However, the American cardinal is listed as participating in the forthcoming ceremonies as a “cardinal priest,” a position within the College of Cardinals. The college includes “cardinal deacons,” “cardinal priests” and “cardinal bishops.”

Mahony holds a senior position among the cardinal priests as he is one of the longest-serving — those who have served longer than him are in their nineties. Other cardinals taking part in the ceremonies include Giovanni Battista Re, who is the dean of the College of Cardinals; Pietro Parolin, who is the most senior cardinal bishop under the age of 80 and is the Holy See Secretary of State; and Dominique Mamberti, the “protodeacon” who will tell the world when a new pope has been chosen.

A spokesman for the Holy See said Mahony was involved because he was the most senior cardinal priest available to take part in the ceremonies, with others unable to participate.