Attach condition to church loan

Re “$50-million collection basket,” Opinion, April 19

Any parish that chooses to help L.A. Roman Catholic Cardinal Roger Mahony pay off a loan taken out to settle the sex abuse scandal should place a firm condition on giving that money: Mahony and any other bishop or priest involved in transferring and protecting the abusing priests, or who have had a hand in fighting the release of all documents in the case, must resign. The men incapable of doing the right thing need to be forced out. The church needs to be cleansed, and the people in the parishes now have the opportunity to do so.

Richard Zimmer

Anaheim

Instead of asking parishes to help pay for the sexual abuse settlements, Mahony could turn to his wealthy friends for help, or the archdiocese could sell some of its income-producing properties.

These past years, the cardinal delayed and stonewalled the abuse settlement with the help of high-priced attorneys, private investigators and a public relations firm. Now he expects hard-working, devout Catholics to pay for his egregious behavior.

If he were an executive in the real world, he would be asked to resign.

Marie Pietrasanta

Encino

If Catholics in the Los Angeles Archdiocese put up the $50 million that Mahony needs to pay off a pedophile settlement loan, they truly deserve to be called his flock.

Jack Bailey

Studio City