New Los Angeles Archbishop named in abuse case

A new case of abuse against minors has marred what should have been a momentous occasion for Latinos in the Catholic Church.

San Antonio Archbishop Jose Gomez was introduced last week as the next leader of the Los Angeles archdiocese to succeed Cardinal Roger Mahoney. The Mexican-born Gomez would become the first Latino cardinal in the U.S. and was initially seen as someone who would overcome the abuse scandals that dogged his predecessor.

Days after the introduction, however, Gomez was named in a lawsuit against a San Antonio priest accused of repeated sexual abuse. Father John M. Fiala allegedly molested the plaintiff when he was a teen “once or twice a month” supposedly including being raped in 2008. "Archdiocese knew or should have know that Fiala was engaging in forbidden sexual contact,” thus implying that Gomez may’ve covered up Fiala’s alleged abuse according to court documents.

The accusations could hurt Gomez’ standing among Latinos allied to the Catholic Church in Los Angeles. Aside from the allegations he will have to work hard to convince parishioners that his “conservative and progressive” views are best for an area with such a notable Latino and immigrant populace:

Under his reign, a local Catholic high school ended its relationship with an organization that raised money to fight breast cancer, because the same organization gave grants to Planned Parenthood. After a 17-year-old lay advisory commission created by his predecessor suggested that gay marriage might be a human rights issue under one reading of the church's teachings, Gomez disbanded the commission…

Gomez has marched for immigrants' rights and worked to bridge the complex cultural gap between long-established Mexican American communities and newly arrived immigrant communities from elsewhere in Latin America.

Image- The Telegraph
Online Sources- AP, Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Courthouse News Service