In Theory:

Congratulations, Archbishop Jose Gomez! I agree with Jorge Contreras, security guard at La Placeta Catholic Church, that the selection is a great thing for Hispanics, and hopefully for all Roman Catholics in the Los Angeles Diocese, and for the inter-religious community in Southern California.

While Gomez’s election is progressive in terms of racial inclusion, he appears to be a nonprogressive when it comes to the important issues of birth control, clergy sexual abuse and gay rights.

I do not believe Gomez’s involvement with Opus Dei will be a problem. Cardinal Roger Mahony has been very involved in dialogue with other faiths and denominations. I hope Gomez will follow in his footsteps.

Senior Pastor

Harbor Christian Church

Newport Beach

The Holy Father made a fine choice in selecting a holy man who will bring others to Christ and His Church.

Gomez cares about his flock, his priests and the salvation of their souls.

No one should be concerned that he is from Opus Dei. One goal of Opus Dei is to encourage people to sanctify their work to God.

It calls forth the laity to holiness of life and has an authentic understanding of the role of the laity and the clergy.

Practices of self-denial, asceticism, and faithfulness to prayer are standard.

Knowing that Gomez prays for his people and priests should give us comfort. We must keep him in our prayers. Each bishop (and pastor of a parish) is responsible for teaching, sanctifying and governing his flock. This new coadjutor has no easy task in front of him, but because he is grounded in his own priesthood, we should expect results that are pleasing to the Lord.

It is wonderful that this pope chose a Latino American archbishop to lead in Southern California. But, if Jose Gomez is a member of Opus Dei, that will increase the difficulty of his already demanding challenges, which include promoting unity among Christians and enhancing relationships with other people of faith.

Secretive, influential members and obscure practices that, when reported, many find bizarre have made Opus Dei Roman Catholicism’s most controversial movement.

To be effective among our heterogeneous population, Gomez will have to clarify what being a member means to him or cease participation in Opus Dei.

We have reached a point where Sen. Baker’s question resonates in implicating the pope himself: “What did he know, and when did he know it?” The pontiff’s defenders swat at the charges as “idle gossip.”

Whether the new Los Angeles archbishop’s theology is “liberal” or “conservative” is secondary to his responsiveness to the scandal of priests and high prelates committing pedophilia, engaging in cover-ups and evasions, and voicing outright lies to shield the church and protect one another.

Revelations of systemic evil and endemic rottenness tumble over each other.

Priests fondled children in the confessional, lured them to their quarters to engage in the most repulsive abuse, and then, with those same hands, offered worshipers the Eucharist.

Do not forgive these fathers for they knew exactly what they were doing. These churchmen nailed children to crosses.

Every pedophilic priest must be rooted out and incarcerated for life.

Temple Bat Yahm, Newport Beach

The leadership of the church is very conservative so it makes sense that they would pick a conservative cleric to replace Cardinal Mahony.

I’m not sure what that has to do with Jose Gomez and the child-abuse problems facing the Los Angeles church.

This problem just seems to be getting worse as more and more reports surface regarding the abuse of children in different countries. But this is a good example of how difficult it is for institutional religions to change their behavior and ability to respond in a more transparent way. This is a nightmare that is begging to be resolved.

It is wonderful to see a Latino in line to succeed Cardinal Mahony, but I worry about the archbishop’s leanings to the right.

As an activist for equal marriage, I am disappointed that he disbanded a social justice group within the church that opposed legislation against same-sex marriage.

Likewise, as a clergywoman who champions women’s ordination, I lament that he voiced opposition to a lecture by a nun advocating for female ordination.

I would love to see the Roman Catholic Church embrace a more inclusive view toward homosexuality and women’s ordination that follows in line with their strong work in living the social gospel by their caring for the poor and the immigrants among us.

The Catholic Church has led the way in so many social justice movements, and it is my prayer that it will continue to follow in Jesus’ radical footsteps by embracing the minority.