A small group of protesters at Cardinal Roger Mahony's Mass on Saturday afternoon voiced their contempt of the Catholic Church for its handling of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy.An estimated 25 members of the El Paso Chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests protested at the Mass.
Dr. Jose Baca, president of the organization, said Saturday that the church's response -- in particular Mahony's -- to widespread sexual abuse by clergy damages the church's credibility on other issues.
Baca said he was abused by a priest in El Paso in the late 1980s while he was in high school.
"Basically, we don't think he's really a good role model for human rights," he said.
"He has time and time again shown his complicity in the sexual abuse scandal in Los Angeles."
Reacting to Baca's accusations, Mahony said Saturday that the sex-abuse scandal has shown that the church should be more humble and faithful, but that a small group should not be allowed to damage "the rest of the good work of the Catholic Church."
"We're doing our best to do all the work that's entrusted to us," he said.
Mahony added that he didn't believe the church is harmed on other issues, such as human rights and immigration, as a result of the sex-abuse scandal.
"We've done the best we can to make sure (abuse) is not going to happen anymore," he said.
"Unfortunately, there's been sexual abuse and misconduct in the church and society since Adam and Eve."
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