Cathedral Protesters

Cardinal Roger Mahony, speaking at the groundbreaking for the new, $163-million cathedral downtown, underscored the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church with his incredible statement that even “poor people can enjoy something beautiful” (Oct. 15). How dare Mahony use donated funds to build this behemoth testament to Catholic vanity in the very midst of so many hungry, homeless and truly needy people? He and the church are making a mockery of Catholicism.

GLENN HEALD

West Hollywood

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I am disgusted with the people who protested at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Los Angeles Roman Catholic cathedral. Their demand that all the money raised for the construction of this necessary structure be used instead to feed and house the poor is both foolish and unrealistic. They claim we are taking food out of the mouths of the hungry to build a symbol of consumerism. Hogwash!

No money has been taken away from any food or housing program to fund the cathedral. All funds have been donated specifically for the cathedral and cannot be used elsewhere.

We need a first-rate cathedral in Los Angeles. The Roman Catholic Church is a complex religion serving many diverse functions in our community and our new complex will fulfill several desperate needs. One being having a proper place of worship large enough for special ceremonies. The new cathedral will become the proud center of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles.

DANIEL MATONAK

Canoga Park

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Cardinal Mahony does not seem to understand why members of the Catholic Worker are protesting the $163 million being spent on his elaborate cathedral. “This will be the presence of God’s spirit in the soul of our city,” Mahony claims. “Everyone has a right to enjoy God’s presence in a beautiful building.”

I’m sure that God’s spirit is more present in the Catholic Worker soup kitchen than in the yet-to-be-built monolith of a cathedral. True, the sight of the homeless eating at a soup kitchen, or the needy seeking aid at any other haven for the poorest of the poor, is probably not very pretty aesthetically. But in God’s eyes I’m sure it far surpasses the superficial beauty of an overpriced stone building.

KAREN LINDELL

Sierra Madre