New friend in Albuquerque is source of this exclusive photo at City of Angels Blog, from the day in September 2005 when Jim Robertson handcuffed himself to Cardinal Roger Mahony's throne-like chair, during a demonstration at the Cathedral in Los Angeles. Below is a sampling of news coverage of the event, which was before City of Angels Lady dropped back onto the planet with a camera. This photo comes by way of two plaintiffs in the L.A. cases, one who lives in Albuquerque, (how those priests did get around).The image she gave me was stuck under the glass cover of a picture frame, so quality is low, I know. Scanned here for posterity at City of Angels BLog.
MAHONY, RESIGN! Security guards attempted to arrest a group of pro-life demonstrators outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on July 1. The demonstrators, part of the American Life League's 2005 Crusade for Life walks, were protesting a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Roger Mahony for the inauguration of Los Angeles' mayor, Anthony Villaraigosa, a pro-abortion Catholic. "It is an outrage that an event honoring a pro-abortion Catholic public figure that openly supports the killing of the pre-born would occur at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral," said American Life League president Judy Brown. But, she said, "it is even more shameful that Cardinal Mahony and others would attempt to censor faithful Catholic students from proclaiming the truth."
The "censorship" occurred when cathedral security threatened to arrest the dozen or more demonstrators; the Los Angeles police department had to intervene to tell security that arresting the protestors would violate the First Amendment. The demonstrators were then allowed inside the cathedral.
In a press release issued the same day of the protest, Brown called on Cardinal Mahony to resign. "American Life League calls for the immediate resignation of Cardinal Roger Mahony in light of his continued defiance of Church teaching," said Brown. "His coddling of pro-abortion Catholic public figures in California is beyond reproach and should not be tolerated by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church."
ANOTHER PROTESTER did not fare so well as the pro-life demonstra tors. James Robertson of Mount Washington handcuffed himself to the cathedra at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels during the 10 a.m. Mass there on Sunday, June 26, while Cardinal Roger Mahony was delivering the homily. Robertson, 58, who says he was a victim of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the 1960s, later said the cardinal's homily "got me all fired up. My point was to inform parishioners everywhere. To hear victims' stories rather than the cardinal and his spin." Robertson said he had been planning the protest for three weeks.
Security guards surrounded Robertson, and the Mass continued. After Mass was over, about 12 police officers arrested Robertson. According to archdiocesan spokesman Tod Tamberg, archdiocesan officials ordered Robertson's arrest because "we owe it to the people who come to the cathedral and to the Mass. Right away the concern is the safety of Cardinal Mahony and all the people in the cathedral. Does he have the potential to do something else?" Perhaps, but at the time, Robertson was unarmed. He was charged with a misdemeanor, booked, and released after a few hours without bail.
Prosecutors filed misdemeanor charges against Robertson on July 22, the Times reported on the 23rd. Robertson could face up to one-and-a-half years in jail and $2,000 in fines if convicted. Defending the prosecution, Tamberg said, "it's really about making sure that the rights of the people who want to worship are respected." And though, according to the Times, many of the 2,000 worshippers gathered in the cathedral at the time of the incident "seemed oblivious to it," "people in the first few pews," said Tamberg, "knew something was terribly wrong."
"This is supposed to be a church of Christianity," said Steven Sanchez, director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, addressing the prosecution. "Whatever happened to forgiveness? Whatever happened to turning the other cheek?" But, said Tamberg, "disrupting a religious service only scares people and does not promote healing
Recorded for posterity at this website one of few that has articles about this incident.
Weird, even the Guardian UK story about Jim's protest has been removed
HOWEVER,
A wire service copy is
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