As many as a dozen Los Angeles priests who were involved in past sexual abuses have been directed by Cardinal Roger Mahony to retire or otherwise leave their ministries.
The forced retirements, which church sources said range from at least a half-dozen to 12 priests, are the latest repercussions in the growing scandal of priestly sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.
The church’s Los Angeles Archdiocese made no public announcement of the dismissals, which occurred during the past two weeks. Numerous attempts to seek comment from officials were unsuccessful.
None of the priests are believed to be involved in any recent abuse cases. Their cases occurred as long as a decade ago, and all underwent psychological counseling and had been considered rehabilitated, according to one of the sources.
Nonetheless, since the scandal over the sexual abuse of minors erupted anew in the Boston Archdiocese last month, dioceses across the country have been under pressure to rid themselves of any priests with a history of sexual misconduct.
It was unclear Sunday whether the names of any of the Los Angeles priests would be given to law-enforcement authorities, or whether any of the priests planned to appeal their dismissals. The archdiocese in past statements has promised to cooperate fully with civil authorities. Mahony was a member of a national bishops conference committee that recommended such steps.
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Nor was it clear why the Los Angeles priests were being asked to leave only now; the archdiocese has had a policy since 1988 to “never deal with a problem of sexual abuse on the part of a priest or deacon by simply moving him to another ministerial assignment.”
Of the targeted priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, those who are 62 or older have been asked to retire. Younger priests were told their status as priests is “inactive.” In meetings with Mahony, the priests also were reportedly asked to consider leaving the priesthood entirely through a process called laicization, a step rarely taken upon retirement, one church source said. They were also offered what one churchman called a “generous” severance package.