Cardinal Roger Mahony, head of the archdiocese of Los Angeles, must be fearing some kind of backlash over his quietly active role in the passage of Proposition 8. This weekend, in The Tidings, an archdiocese newsletter, Mahony and the bishops of L.A. try to console "homosexual Catholics" with a kind of wacky double-speak usually doled out by politicians who know they're wrong but refuse to come clean and say it. Here's an excerpt:

"Your intrinsic value as human beings and as brothers and sisters continues without change," Mahony and the bishops write. "If we had ever thought that the intent of this proposition was to harm you or anyone in the State of California, we would not have supported it. We are personally grateful for the witness and service of so many dedicated and generous homosexual Catholics. We pledge our commitment to safeguard your dignity."

If there was a year-end list for the most cockamamie, intellectually dishonest letter from a  Los Angeles public official for 2008, Mahony's contends for the number one slot.

OUTTRO: I finally saw Milk on Saturday night, and if anyone wants to know why "No on 8" lost, as well as watch a finely crafted, inspirational movie by gay filmmakers Gus Van Sant and Dustin Lance Black, go to the nearest cineplex . . . pronto!

(Cardinal Mahony photo from Archdiocese of L.A.; Milk photo by Phil Bray)


Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.