Roger Mahony

Roger Mahony, born on February 27, 1936, in Los Angeles, is a prominent figure in the American Catholic Church, having served as the archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 until his retirement in 2011. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Mahony was ordained as a priest in 1962, marking the beginning of a distinguished ecclesiastical career.

His journey through the ranks of the Church began with his appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Fresno in 1975, followed by his role as bishop of the Diocese of Stockton from 1980 to 1985. In a historic move, he became the first native of Los Angeles to be appointed archbishop of the city by Pope John Paul II in 1985. Mahony was elevated to cardinal in 1991, participating in the papal conclaves that elected Popes Benedict XVI and Francis.

During his tenure as archbishop, Mahony played a crucial role in restructuring the archdiocese into five administrative subdivisions and oversaw the construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which was inaugurated in September 2002. However, his legacy is marred by his involvement in the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, where he was criticized for transferring abusive priests rather than holding them accountable. In 2007, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles issued a public apology and reached a settlement of six hundred sixty million dollars for the victims of these abuses.

After reaching the mandatory retirement age for bishops in 2011, Mahony was succeeded by Archbishop José H. Gómez. In January 2013, following the release of personnel files that detailed the extent of the abuse during his leadership, Gómez relieved Mahony of his public and episcopal duties within the archdiocese.