Dodging the Bullet

I guess Cardinal Mahony didn't exactly plan on running into this reporter at the Religious Education Congress:

Interview with Cardinal Mahony

California Catholic Daily News writer “runs into” His Eminence at the March 1-3 Religious Education Congress. Their conversation follows.

Hi, Cardinal Mahony, I’m with California Catholic.

Mahony: Oh.

Yes, I just want to ask you, how is it that last year we had Father Timothy Radcliffe asking people to go see Brokeback Mountain and read gay novels and make gay friends, and you were sitting right there. Why would a priest be allowed to say that right on the stage here in the arena during his keynote speech?

Well, why are you asking me? Ask him.

Well, don’t you have anything to say about him telling Catholics to do those things?

Well, ask him.

Why don’t you ask him? You were right there on the stage with him. It’s terrible that he did that. It’s terrible that a priest would come into this religious education congress and tell people to go see a homosexual movie. Why would you invite somebody to speak that would say that to the faithful?

Do you know how many speakers we have here?

Yes, I’m aware of it.

There’s 198 speakers. There’s no way to know in advance what every single speaker is going to say in the talk or in a question-and-answer period.

Um-hmm.

There’s no way to know. I mean, you do your best.... [remainder unintelligible on the tape due to crosstalk]

Could you issue a statement afterward saying that you didn’t agree with what he said?

Everybody knows what the Church position on that movie was, and I think everybody knows what we thought about it.

Okay, and is that why a gay and lesbian ministry booth is allowed to be here in the exhibition hall?

Well go ask them, go ask the ministry.

A ministry with them or to them --- to people who suffer from same-sex attraction?

Go ask them.

I’m asking you. You’re the cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles.

And I know ... what all sides are knowing and doing every second.

Well, I would think that you would understand something about what’s going on in your archdiocese.

Well, we’ll look into it.

Thank you.