A cross commemorating victims of sex crimes by pedophile priests in the LA Archdiocese used to be in a promenade area, where people passing through the cathedral as tourists or going to Mass could see it. The LA archdiocese replaced the survivor exhibit with a photo spread about genocide in Rwanda in 1994, the introduction is pictured here. (This photo was taken the day before my camera broke. When I went back the next day to shoot more, the camera died.... inside the cathedral. When I brought the camera home, it had stopped working.
Did someone from the Church ZAP me with a BEAM while I was shooting the Darfur exhibit on my Aiptek HD Cam, knowing I would be criticizing them about the loss of the cross here at City of Angels? Or am I paranoid and it is just a coincidence that the camera died right after I took shots and video of the Darfur exhibit, and several other scenes at the cathedral that day.
I was unaccompanied, and there were guys with sunglasses and hats watching my every step. . . .)
Catholic officials replaced the survivor exhibit without notifying anyone who represents survivors in LA, such as persons who carried the cross into the cathedral in 2003 or the artists who produced the cross. Survivors did find out that the church at some point last year removed the cross and took it to an "archive."
(I do not call the archdiocese PR guy anymore, as they always see my caller ID and let it go to Voice Mail, then never return the call.)
Probably the LA Archdiocese staff trashed the survivor cross, considering the care and concern our local Cardinal Mahony has shown for pedohpile priest rape survivors here in Southern California so far.
The cross had photos of several survivors as children, the age they were when being raped by a pedophile priest in the LA Archdiocese.
Since the archdiocese appears to actually have no idea where the cross is, some of us are concerned it could get into the hands of a pervert, for example any one of the 100-plus perpetrator priests who were charged in the civil cases which settled July 2007.
Most of the pedophile priests identified in the 500 plus lawsuits which settled in LA last year are roaming the world free. Most pedophile priests do not have to register as sex offenders, but live unidentified today, anywhere in the world, still getting monthly stipends from the church or living on Social Security.
Meanwhile in order for the LA Times to have a story about concern and compassion coming from an archdiocese for the crime victims, they have to go to Oakland to write yet another article linked here http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-memorial1-2008dec01,0,3235386.story about the one decent act the church has taken in California, the little garden at the new Oakland cathedral for crime victims. Most news media covered the Oakland garden opening weeks ago. I guess the LA Times was waiting for some response from Cardinal Mahony.
Mr. Cardboard?
Considering LA was a major player in the national pedophile epidemic which was allowed to thrive from the first years the archdiocese formed, the LA archdiocese owes ALL the victims a lot more concern and attention than it has given so far, by giving settlements to a fraction of the victims who live here.
More to come later today
kay
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