Mahony Redux: Deconstructing the Deposition of the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Part 1

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Since Roger Mahony is still on U.S. soil and as such still prosecutable, we interrupt our series, "Deconstructing William Levada," to go through, line by line, the deposition of the Archbishop of Los Angeles, which was released last month. A quick read of the transcript makes it clear there are many contradictions and statements in his testimony, made under oath, that can only be fallacy when logic is applied to what was said.

For example, Mahony claims to have had no knowledge of pedophile behavior patterns back in 1986, even though he was a masters level social worker* before entering church hierarchy as a bishop and upwardly mobilizing to Cardinal. He even taught Social Work at Fresno State University, after getting his MSW in 1964 up to becoming Bishop of Fresno in 1975.

So when Mahony claims that in 1985 he did not know pedophiles usually have numerous victims and can be sociopathic liars, it begs believability.

Also he refers to the families perpetrated by Father Michael Baker as "illegal aliens" as if that is how the perp priest and Mahony discussed the crime victims in 1985. The term "illegal aliens" did not infuse into American vernacular until around the turn of the century:

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Q: Okay let’s go back to 1985. You knew, of course that sexual assault of any type is a crime, right, in 1985.
A: Yes. ..
Q: How many priests admitted to you in Los Angeles they had molested children?
A: Over what time period?
Q: The entire time you've been here.
A: One. Michael Baker.
Q: What did he tell you?
A: He told me that they were two families of illegal aliens and they had left the Los Angeles area.
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Q: I want to know, in 1986, did it occur to you that it would be a good idea, sir, to make an announcement to the parish?
A: Let me explain. It is impossible to talk about 1986 without understanding all that has gone on since… I can’t disassociate what we have accomplished over the years to protect children.

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In 1985 you barely heard the term "illegal aliens," a circa G.W. Bush era colloquialism.

Illegal alien
From 2006 article National Association of Hispanic Journalists:

NAHJ is concerned with the increasing use of pejorative terms to describe the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. NAHJ is particularly troubled with the growing trend of the news media to use the word “illegals” as a noun, shorthand for "illegal aliens". Using the word in this way is grammatically incorrect and crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not the action they are purported to have committed. NAHJ calls on the media to never use “illegals” in headlines. (From Association of Hispanic Journalists)
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A growing trend to use this term in 2006, yet Baker and Mahony tossed it back and forth between them in 1985? Mahony must have forgotten his political correct hat at the January 2010 deposition.

PREVIEW OF POST NEXT WEEK:

This post is a preview of what is to come, when we finish this project of Deconstructing the Deposition of Roger Mahony, which will be followed by the the Deconstructing of depositions of Cardinal Frances George and Cardinal William Levada. Then, hopefully as Minnesota Attorney Jeff Anderson deposes others of these high hat guys in dresses who are Catholic Church hierarchy, in his pursuit of prosecuting the Pope, we will deconstruct those transcripts here as well.

In what we have read so far from Mahony, he claims that in 1985 he did not know pedophiles usually have more than one victim and can be sociopathic liars.

Plus, how convenient to just shrug and say, "they were illegal aliens" when that was not even a term used in the 1980s, and is that how a masters level social working religious leader would react?

*From Wikipedia, re Roger Mahony's education:

He graduated from The Catholic University of America in 1964 with a master's degree in social work. For the next 13 years, he held pastoral and curial assignments in the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno and the newly formed Diocese of Fresno. He was named a monsignor in February 1967. He also taught social work at Fresno State University during this period.

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It just sounds too practiced and prepared, the term illegal alien as Mahony uses it.

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I will continue taking apart the deposition and will post next in depth analysis Monday night.

-ke