`TOTAL ZERO TOLERANCE' MAHONY APOLOGIZES TO VICTIMS OF ABUSIVE PRIESTS.

Byline: Beth Barrett Staff Writer

Cardinal Roger Mahony apologized Friday to the victims of abusive priests and said there will be no exceptions to the ``total zero tolerance'' of clergy who sexually abuse minors in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Returning from a conference in the Vatican where he and other U.S. prelates met with Pope John Paul II to discuss the sex abuse scandal that's rocked the Catholic Church, Mahony clearly separated himself from the debate over whether exceptions should be made for priests whose acts were singular or few, and were committed years ago.

``If we say the protection and care of children and youth is our No. 1 priority, then total zero tolerance is the only answer,'' Mahony said during a news conference at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral downtown. ``There aren't any half-measures. There aren't any what-ifs, buts or ands. That's the only solution.''

Significantly, Mahony made it clear that the policy applies to removing priests from the ministry - even if the cases against them are old. Some church leaders have suggested exceptions might be made if abuse occurred decades earlier and was not repeated.

``Our total zero tolerance is exactly that - past, present and future. There are no exceptions,'' he said.

Mahony said he hopes the archdiocese's policies can be a model for the rest of the country.

With American bishops prepared to meet in Dallas in June to consider policies on handling cases against priests accused of sexually abusing minors, Mahony is expected to play a significant role.

``He's very articulate and heads the largest archdiocese in the country. There's a lot of respect for him,'' said Rev. Gerald Coleman, a theologian at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park. ``He has very clear moral convictions. He's not wishy-washy.''

Mahony has a reputation for not buckling under pressure, but Coleman said every bishop runs his own diocese independently so the cardinal's influence in crafting the national policy remains to be seen.

``Not all cardinals are on the same page on these things,'' Coleman added. ``Obviously there's a spectrum - where Mahony says if a priest abused a minor there is zero tolerance, some draw the distinction at serial abusers.''

Mahony was criticized earlier this year for not more quickly turning over to authorities the names of eight priests who had been accused of sexual misconduct with minors years ago - among them priests who had either retired or were no longer in assignments where they had contact with minors.

When e-mails between Mahony and top staff members were released, they showed Mahony ordering his legal staff to make the names available to the police.

On Friday, he said the cases came to light after he'd ordered a new, comprehensive review of church personnel records. The archdiocese was involved in a sexual abuse lawsuit in Orange County, and the national scandal was unfolding at the time.

Mahony said the pope's assertion that there is ``no room in the priesthood'' for those who sexually abuse minors very clearly spelled out a zero-tolerance stance. He said some have misunderstood the more lengthy canonical proceedings involved in such cases, believing they leave room for debate, but that it is not so.

At the Vatican, Mahony said, he told his fellow clergy the problem of priests abusing minors is not confined to the United States, and the issue needs to be addressed universally. Mahony said the virtually unprecedented meeting on sex abuse by priests did not include other topics, such as whether priests should be allowed to marry.

Mahony reiterated earlier statements that the marriage of priests should be open for discussion, and insisted the celibacy issue should not be linked to pedophilia.

Mahony said he anticipates the church's lay community becoming more involved in demanding both a zero-tolerance policy for priests found to have abused minors, and in the discussion on whether priests should be allowed to marry.

He added that the pope and the Roman curia - the officials at the highest level of the Catholic Church - are looking for ``results'' and expect to see them.

Personnel matters were not discussed, including the future of Boston's Cardinal Bernard F. Law, who apologized to the American contingent of cardinals for his handling of priests who were repeat offenders. Those issues typically would be handled internally by the Vatican, he said.

Mahony said the Los Angeles Archdiocese is now in constant communication with law enforcement agencies, and said there is a reciprocal relationship in sharing information obtained through hotlines and elsewhere.

The diocese has established parish-based programs to educate children about the potential dangers they face, including sexual abuse by priests, and how to protect against it.

Mahony said he has met with some victims, and there have been requests for small prayer support groups from others.

Mahony also pointed to much stricter screening procedures for seminarians, and better training in moral theology designed to produce mature and self-controlled priests. He also said more research into the clerical abuse of minors should be undertaken, saying he suspects such a study would indicate the Catholic Church admitted immature men to the priesthood without the proper training or follow-up.

``We relied upon what we knew then,'' Mahony said of the treatment of priests who abused minors, including those who were allowed to remain as priests.

Mahony discounted reports that some seminaries attract a high percentage of homosexual priests, or endorse such a culture. And he said the issue is not what a man's sexual ``tendency'' is, but whether as a priest he can lead a chaste and celibate life.

Mahony said the archdiocese will vigorously enforce its policies.

``I know what works,'' Mahony said. ``Total zero tolerance works.''

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Cardinal Roger Mahony, seen in front of a tapestry depicting the Communion of Saints inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, spoke to reporters Friday about the Roman Catholic Church's sex scandals.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer