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He was born on February 27, 1936 during the dawning of the talking motion picture in the shadow of the Hollywood studios as a tremendous transformation was taking place. He grew up in the atmosphere of the glitz and glamour that is his birthplace - Hollywood, California. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley and entered St. John's Seminary in Camarillo at the height of the Hollywood black-list controversy that engulfed the industry in a fear campaign. He was a trend-setter in being one of the first students to enroll at Our Lady of the Angels in Mission Hills. At the close of the age of innocence he was ordained a priest on May 1, 1962 in the Fresno Diocese. Soon after he was assigned to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. After receiving his degree he returned to the west coast where he became Diocesan Director of Catholic Charities and Social Services. In addition he joined the faculty at Coalinga College in Fresno. It was in these two duties where he became more involved and concerned for the growing Spanish community, prompting him to join the Administrative Council of the Episcopal Committee for Hispanics. This prompted his interest in helping form an ad hoc committee that the NCCB officially sanctioned for farm workers as he worked closely with activist Cesar Chavez for human rights for the workers. His endeavors earned him the Fresno Junior Chamber of Commerce's "Young Man of the Year" award in 1967.
On January 7, 1975 Pope Paul VI appointed him Bishop and on the Feast of Saint Joseph two months later he was installed as Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno under Bishop Hugh Donohue, who had succeeded Cardinal Timothy Manning. Bishop Mahony was also named Titular Bishop of Tamascani. Five years later he was named by Pope John Paul II to replace the retired Bishop Merlin J. Guilfoyle in the Diocese of Stockton on April 17, 1980 and installed a week later on April 25th. He remained in this central California area until the resignation of Cardinal Manning, who had been appointed to head the vast Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1970. His retirement necessitated a replacement and the Holy Father appointed him Archbishop of Los Angeles on July 15, 1985 and he was installed at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral on September 5th of the same year. Thus he became the first native Los Angeleno to attain such status. That same year he led a fact-finding mission for the U.S. Catholic Conference to Central America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
In 1991, the Pope deliberated over who to appoint cardinal in the United States, deciding between Archbishop Mahony and Archbishop John L. May of St. Louis. In both archdioceses a cardinal had preceded them - Cardinal Manning in LA and Cardinal John Joseph Carberry in St. Louis; so many thought both might be chosen, but the Holy Father chose Archbishop Mahony only perhaps because of Archbishop May's age and health for the latter resigned a year later and died two years later of cancer. Thus, in the Consistory of June 28, 1991 Cardinal Mahony received the red-hat and the titular church of Four Crowned Saints.
Because of his heritage and involvement in human rights, he serves membership on the Congregation for Justice and Peace. He also has curial membership in the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, which is a natural considering he represents the hub of communications - Hollywood. Perhaps it is his mentality of growing up in the liberal hotbed of Southern California, perhaps it is his association with the equally liberal Chavez and the farm workers, perhaps it is his indoctrination with the "spirit of Vatican II," perhaps it is a combination of other factors but one thing is definitely conclusive: Cardinal Mahony is one of the liberal spokesmen for the American Church and has had his share of controversies during his tenure as head of four million Catholics in the largest west coast see. One of those controversies is, of course, his spat with Mother Angelica who took him to task on her "Mother Angelica Live" show on EWTN for his September 4, 1997 Guide for Sunday Mass document and November 3, 1998 decree "Gather Faithfully Together" which Mother found many things wrong with, especially that priests comply by 1999 or face the consequences even though it had not been sanctioned by Rome. The two of them went at it hot and heavy and Cardinal Mahony threatened to have Mother silenced. It was shortly after that comment that Mother was miraculously healed of her crippled condition. We do know that Cardinal Mahony did go to Rome, we don't know what was discussed between him and the Pope; but we also know it has been very, very quiet since for Mother was truly speaking on behalf of the orthodox Roman Catholic Faith. She has long been a thorn in the side of the liberal bishops who have sought to either silence her or prejudice others against her network, but in this latest showdown it seems Cardinal Mahony is the one who blinked. In all respect for his office as bishop, we write this in total loyalty to Rome. Our views are in agreement with Mother Angelica and are adverse to many things that the Cardinal advocates in his Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist. As to be expected, because of his youth (he is only 63) and American views, many American modernists are pushing for his papability as the spokesman for the new left, but Cardinal Mahony is even to the right of the other liberal candidate Cardinal Carlo Martini, S.J. of Milan who we will cover next week. Despite his modernistic views, Cardinal Mahony has spoken out strongly against the increasing slease and violence permeated by the Hollywood establishment and, because of his roots and respect, many movie moguls are taking his words seriously. We hope and pray he will continue this trend and continue to uphold human rights for all as he has exemplified throughout his priestly life.
He survived a scare early last summer when he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer but he had successful surgery on June 15 and has since fully recovered. He exercises regularly, often walking the one mile between his downtown LA residence and the city's new cathedral. He makes a point to get away three times a year to the High Sierras where he trades in his clerical collar for the ruddy unifosrm of the hiker, claiming this is where "I find God the quickest and the fullest. You just can't get away from God's creation there. I don't think many atheists spend much time in the Sierra." Though he communicates with God through nature, prayer and celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he often communicates with others on an amateur radio frequency as a ham radio aficianado with the call letters W6QYI.
No one, I would imagine, would see their own life as a waste, as evil. No doubt, not even Adolf Hitler nor Josef Stalin probably saw themselves as evil incarnate. We all have a rationalization of what we are and why we are. The mother who goes to an abortion clinic isn't doing this for evil reasons but out of concern, what she feels is right and necessary. The homosexual or heterosexual having illicit relations with their partners, aren't sinning but engaging in a natural, healthy, and loving relationship. We can all point to someone else and say, "I'm not as bad as……" or "I'm a good person, better than……" If we were to listen to ourselves, we're all saints destined for Heaven.
How others see your life is another story. No doubt, someone is saying "I'm not as bad as….." and be referring to you. To militant homosexuals you may be a homophobic, gay basher. To feminists, a sexist, patriarchal, Neanderthal. To modernists, you may be seen as an ignorant sheep being led apart from human reasoning. We have Christians who also reverse that, and consign all of the above to the nether reaches of hell. If we were to listen to what others said about us, we'd all be consigned to hell.
Then there is our life as God sees it. He sees our inner heart. He sees and knows whether we are rationalizing or truly believing what was taught to us. He is the merciful AND just Judge. Modernists and dissenters want to see Him only as a merciful Judge, the notion of justice missing from Him. Thus, whatever they do can, and will be forgiven them. They parrot the saying, "I cannot envision a loving and merciful God sending anyone to hell." Thus, hell must not exist, but is rather a fairy tale designed to scare the unenlightened, the ignorant, the easily led, into total obedience to a man made institution, the Church.
On the other extreme is the faction which sees God as only a great and terrible Judge ready to render terrible and eternal punishment for the slightest infraction. Some feel that they escape this only by saying a few magic words, "I accept Jesus as a my personal Lord and Savior" by which it doesn't matter what we do, we'll go directly to Heaven. (So much for God being All Just) The idea of a merciful God is lost to them. But how does the Church reconcile these two positions? How is God both merciful and just?
The Church teaches that a person who commits a sin without honestly knowing it was a sin is guilty of venial sin. Wrong, yes, but not deserving condemnation. However, the person who knows an action is a sin and commits it anyway, with no coercion, is guilty of mortal sin. And mortal sin is deserving of eternal condemnation since we are saying no to God, repeating what lucifer said to God, "I will not serve." It is then we who separate ourselves from God, it is then we who condemn ourselves, preferring hell to Heaven.
"If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal" (1 John 5:16-17).
It must also be known that mortal sin isn't just restricted to the seven deadly sins, as some seem to think.
Someone once wrote that we may well be surprised to see who enters into Heaven and who doesn't. The Church speaks of the conscience being the ultimate guide, but this teaching has been distorted to mean any kind of conscience. The Church refers to an 'informed' conscience. Consider the person who commits a crime without knowing it, or due to extenuating circumstances? He is still liable to the law, but not the full extent of it. Hence the person who is guilty of manslaughter, and is sorry for having done it, will not receive as severe a sentence as the person guilty of 1st degree murder, and not being sorry.
The person raised to believe that the earth is flat cannot be condemned for that belief, even though it is wrong. So it may well be that, for example, the homosexual who has been 'taught' that his active participation in that lifestyle is good will not be condemned for his sin. (Though a punishment may well be called for...Purgatory.) However, for the person who taught him that? Consider the following: "… but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
Conversely, we read, "My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20).
But for many, the conscience they use is a 'dead' conscience, not an informed one. When we hear people say that the Church must change it's teaching to suit their wants and desires, it isn't from an 'informed' conscience, but a dead one. Their informed conscience tells them that such and such is a sin, but their dead conscience demands their own way.
Justice would say that they receive what they request, to go their own way, apart from God. And eternity apart from God is hell.
However, we must also be careful not to think too highly of ourselves. Scriptures are full of examples of those who did so. They could do no wrong since they were the 'sons of Abraham', they were better than the publicans (tax collectors), the harlots, the sinners. "What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" 'They said, 'The first.' Jesus said to them,' "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him" (Matthew 21:28-32).
The mob who brought the adulteress to Christ was correct in pointing out her sin, but they seriously erred by condemning her. This was their 'sin'. "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17).
We must not take pride that we are not committing some sin, for the chances are we are guilty of another. This doesn't absolve us from trying to help our brothers and sisters see their error, just be aware of our own and do something about it. "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:1-4).
So, if we judge ourselves only by how we see ourselves, we are guilty of pride. "Pride consists in a man making his personality the only test, instead of making truth the test. {The Common Man, NY: Sheed & Ward, 1950, p. 254}
If we judge by how others see us, then we are doomed to trying to live up to their visions of themselves. "It is pride to think that a thing looks ill. because it does not look like something characteristic of oneself." (Ibid)
But where we need to judge ourselves is in how God sees us. If we do this, not only are we concerned with our own short comings, but with others as well. "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives Me;" (Matthew 18:5).
If we see our lives as God sees it, then we won't be like the Pharisee who boasted how good he was before God, but will rather be like the publican who repeatedly asked for God's mercy. And will join our voice to his saying, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."
O! Little children, how I desire for each of you, when you honor me as the Mother of God, to give me your heart. O, please give me your heart that I may give your heart to my Divine Son. These are the roses I truly desire, the roses which form the beads and links of every rosary which helps you to reach your heavenly home!
Little ones, look about you and, with the eyes of your soul, see how sad your whole world is. See, my children, that never does God leave you without hope. O, receive now the Infinite Divine Mercy which my Divine Son desires to pour out upon all the world.
This outpouring of Divine Mercy is written in Sacred Scripture. This is what my Divine Son revealed to His saint, Blessed Faustina. Now is the time when all must cry out with one voice for Mercy. Only in this way will you see the terrible chastisements mitigated. Do you not see the horrid evil which swirls around you? Where is there peace? Where is your safe refuge? It is in the Sacred Heart of my Divine Son.
If you do not pray and be humble and contrite of heart, you cannot be in the Refuge of my Son's Sacred Heart, nor can you discern what my words to you mean.
Therefore, I implore all of my children: Please give me your hearts. Consecrate yourself to my Immaculate Heart and thus to my Divine Son's Sacred Heart. If you do not heed my words, the sword of Divine Justice shall come upon you and no one shall be spared.
I solemnly tell you that you must pray much. You must ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit that you may discern all of Sacred Scripture in the Divine Light of Truth.
Beware all who do not discern but interpret, for they are often misled and thus lead many souls astray.
Be obedient to my Divine Son's One True Church - the Holy, Roman Catholic Church. Listen to my beloved, holy priest-son Pope John Paul II, and remain faithful to my Divine Son in the Sacraments.
Woe to all who do not heed these words! Woe to all who doubt and speak all manner of evil and lies, for unto them shall come the full weight of Divine Justice.
O, little ones! How I love all of you! How I seek to present each one of you to my Divine Son.
Come, then! Come quickly into my Immaculate Heart so that I may give you to my Divine Son Jesus Christ. There is the Refuge! Trust in Him in all things and pray very much, for sorrow fills the earth and the chalice is overflowing.
I weep for all of my little ones. Will you wipe away my tears and give to me your heart?
O! Crown me with your fiats, for these are the incense before the Throne of God.
I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!
Through you who are truly My hidden flower , I desire to speak to all the world about My Divine Mercy.
Little children, why do you reject My Mercy? O! How proud and stubborn are your hearts which speak the word "Mercy," but in your hearts you are judgmental, bitter, angry and filled with thoughts of vengeance.
Woe to all who seek the way of violence in the name of righteousness, for I came to show unto all the world the path of peace, of sacrifice, of ultimate Merciful Love.
My desire is for each heart, each voice to be lifted up to Me in humble supplication, crying aloud for My Mercy to come.
O! How sorrowful is your world which lies in the darkness of sin, in the snare of satan's lies! O! How blind are My children, and I seek only to give you Eternal Light.
Therefore, in this month in which you honor My Blessed Mother, I seek all to have recourse to My Mercy, and I beseech all to pray for the founding of My Institute of Divine Mercy which is of Me, from Me, and through this Institute I choose to pour out torrents of Mercy upon all the world.
O! Tarry no longer, but guided by the Holy Spirit, let all I have revealed to My Blessed Faustina concerning My cloistered contemplative community be fulfilled. Even in its early founding stage I shall behold it as a fully refined gem, and upon this Institute and all who form it, all who shepherd it, all who help it, shall see Mercy in unfathomable torrents.
There is no sin, no cause, no petition that should not be brought to My Divine Mercy! I will behold My daughters hidden from the world, yet shining in the light of victims of Divine Mercy who will call out for and receive My Mercy for all the world.
O! Blessed shall this Institute be. Blessed that moment, ordained from all eternity when Mercy shall pour forth like an ocean, and through My Mercy countless souls shall be saved!
Pray much for this, My children, for I desire to save all of My children and to mitigate the chastisements. But if you do not give yourselves fully to Me, if you lack trust in Me, if your love of Me is second to love of life and of world, then the chastisements shall not be mitigated, and the full weight of Divine Justice shall befall mankind.
Come to Me, for I am the Good Shepherd. I do not abandon My flock. Pray! Pray for the Triumph of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, and be at peace, fearing nothing. Know I am near. Prepare, for I Come!
