LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, the archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, will witness the sealing of the coffin of Pope Francis Friday as the senior cardinal priest of the 204 cardinal priests in Rome for Francis’ funeral.
Vatican News, the official news portal of the Holy See, reported Thursday that the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff requested the presence at the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin of Mahony, along with Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, Pietro Parolin, Domenique Mamberti, Mauro Gambetti, Baldassare Reina, and Konrad Krajewski.
The 89-year-old Mahony will also concelebrate at the Funeral Mass for Pope Francis on Saturday. Following the Funeral Mass, Mahony will process to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major to be present for Francis’ burial.
“I was stunned and felt honored when I received the news to have been chosen for these special roles,” Mahony said in a statement. “Pope Francis and I had a special friendship over the years, and we exchanged personal letters often.
“God’s surprises never seem to end, and I am joyful that someone from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was chosen for this role. It is yet another example of the importance of our wonderful archdiocese.
“I carry out these roles with gratitude to the extraordinary Catholic community of Los Angeles under the leadership of Archbishop José Gomez, our auxiliary bishops, our priests and deacons, our men and women of consecrated life, and our outstanding lay Catholics.”
Mahony was appointed as archbishop of Los Angeles by Saint John Paul II on July 12, 1985, and was created as a Cardinal in June 28, 1991. He retired as archbishop at the age of 75 on March 1, 2011.
Mahony, who took part in the conclave that selected Pope Francis, is ineligible to participate in the conclave to choose Francis’ successor because cardinals aged 80 years or older before the day the papacy fell vacant are ineligible.
Mahony remains in good standing with the church, although in 2013 he was relieved of most of his public duties over mishandling of clergy sex abuse cases decades earlier. The move, however, did not impact his standing as a priest or his ability to celebrate Mass or the sacraments, and he remained a cardinal.
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