Victims Urge Mayor to Shun Jesuit Event

A support group for victims of clergy abuse is pressuring Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to step down as honorary chairman of a benefit gala honoring a Jesuit leader whom they allege has protected priests accused of molestation.

In letters to the mayor in August and this week, Survivors Network for Those Abused by Priests asked Villaraigosa to disassociate himself from the Oct. 22 event at Union Station honoring Father Thomas H. Smolich, the former head of the California Province of the Jesuits.

“Smolich’s history of hiding known molesters and refusing to report sex crimes to law enforcement shows he is not a leader who deserves public praise,” wrote Mary Grant, the group’s Western regional director.

Smolich has acknowledged that the Jesuits failed to notify authorities of accusations against Father Jerold Lindner, who taught at Loyola High School in Los Angeles and has been accused of child molestation by men and women who attended the school.

The allegations arose before Smolich became head of the province in 1999.

Lindner has not been charged with criminal wrongdoing. He was named in a 1997 civil lawsuit by two brothers who alleged he abused them. The Jesuits settled the case for $625,000.

Grant called on the mayor to pressure the sponsoring group, Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission, to cancel the event and call on Smolich to release records on priests suspected of abuse.

The invitation to the event, which features a photo of the mayor with the caption “honorary chair,” asks people to “join us in honoring” Smolich by attending “an evening of music and comedy.”

Villaraigosa has long supported Proyecto Pastoral, a Boyle Heights nonprofit social services organization, which will benefit from the fundraiser, and has not asked that his name be taken off the invitation, said Joe Ramallo, a mayoral spokesman.

Ramallo said a Villaraigosa representative gave the group permission to use his name as honorary chairman but that Villaraigosa did not know the event was to honor Smolich.

“His involvement is not meant to reflect one way or the other on Father Smolich,” Ramallo said.

Ramallo said Villaraigosa did not plan to attend the event.

Smolich, who was replaced as provincial for the California Province of the Society of Jesus on Sept. 6, did not respond to an e-mail and phone calls seeking comment. But Jesuit spokesman Richard Bushnell said departure of Smolich was not related to accusations that he had protected abusers.

Smolich is set to become president of the Jesuit Conference, which coordinates between the 10 Jesuit provinces in the United States.

Smolich and the L.A. event were defended by Gabriel Buelna, executive director of Proyecto Pastoral.

Buelna noted that Smolich was a co-founder and former executive director of the group, which provides child care, after-school programs and other services for poor families, with the aim of reducing gang violence.

As for accusations that Smolich did not act to report and remove abusive priests, Buelna said he was not aware of any specific allegation of wrongdoing.

“We’re always worried about any victims, but we don’t believe he is connected to any of that,” Buelna said.

The victims-group leaders said Smolich housed convicted and suspected child molesters at the Jesuit headquarters in Los Gatos and failed to notify authorities when allegations were made against priests.

Smolich has told The Times he had no tolerance for sexual abuse.

But Steven Sanchez, L.A. director of the survivors network, said Smolich’s record was one Villaraigosa should not endorse.

“Honoring him rubs salt into the already deep wounds of molestation victims,” Sanchez said, “and it sends a terrible signal that L.A.’s top elected official turns a blind eye to sex crimes and coverups.”