Anger as US cardinal accused of covering up church abuse given ceremonial honor of closing Pope Francis's coffin
Advocates for victims of church abuse have hit out after it emerged a disgraced U.S. cardinal is to help close and seal Pope Francis' casket ahead of his funeral Saturday.
Cardinal Roger Mahony, 89, was selected by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations to be one of nine clergymen to be present at the ceremonial Rite of Sealing of the Coffin on Friday in St Peter's Basilica. Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011, will also oversee the pope's interment at Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major following the service in St. Peter's Square this weekend, the Vatican announced.
The cardinal was stripped of his administrative and public duties with immediate effect in January 2013 by his successor, Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez, after he was accused of shielding priests embroiled in a child sex abuse scandal between the 1980s and 1990s to protect the Catholic Church.
Making the announcement in 2013, Gomez said Mahony had 'expressed his sorrow for his failure to fully protect young people entrusted to his care'.
However Mahony, who is among the oldest and longest-serving cardinal priests in the College of Cardinals, denied any wrongdoing and weeks after his removal Gomez maintained that he remained a 'priest in good standing' with the Catholic Church.
The Los Angeles archdiocese said on Thursday that Gomez's first statement had been "misinterpreted" at the time.
"We are blessed to have Cardinal Mahony represent our Archdiocese in Rome for the funeral of our Holy Father," said the statement. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni added that the cardinals involved in the ceremony were determined by their length of tenure.
Those supporting the survivors of clergy abuse have criticized the Vatican's decision to select the cardinal for the ceremonial honor.
'Shame on him for participating in the public rites for Pope Francis, and shame on the College of Cardinals for allowing him to do so,' Anne Barrett Doyle of the group Bishop Accountability, which has tracked Catholic clergy abuse for decades, told Reuters.
Mahony traveled to the Vatican this week to pay his last respects to the late pontiff, who passed away on Monday, who suffered a stroke and heart failure a day after appearing at Easter Sunday mass in St Peter's Square.
The cardinal said that though he didn't know Francis very well before he was elected pope, they had become closer in recent years and would write to each other regularly.
'He encouraged us to write to him,' Mahony told ABC 7 Eyewitness News. 'I have—I don't know the final number—over 30 letters back from the pope, Pope Francis.'
In 2013, the release of Church files related to a lawsuit suggested Mahony and another official had shielded several accused priests in the 1980s by sending them for treatment to psychiatrists known as friendly to the Church.
Mahony apologized after the release of the files "for my own failure to protect fully the children and youth entrusted into my care." But he said many Catholic officials did not understand how to handle clergy suspected of abuse at the time.
The Los Angeles Archdiocese paid over $660 million to settle clergy abuse claims against 508 victims during Mahony's tenure. The LA archdiocese has paid out over $1.5 billion in total to more than 1,300 victims in various settlements.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Buzz Feed
15 Celebrities Who Are In Jail Right Now
Actor Danny Masterson How he's famous: Masterson is best known for playing Steven Hyde on That '70s Show from 1998–2006. He also was a regular cast member on Men at Work and The Ranch, which re-teamed him with That '70s Show costar Ashton happened: In 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department began a sexual assault investigation into Masterson after three women came forward with allegations against him. In each case, all of which occurred at Masterson's home between 2001–03, the women said Masterson gave them alcohol and then, when they became disoriented, took them to his bedroom and violently raped them. Masterson, who proclaimed his innocence, was arrested on three counts of forcible rape in early 2021.A first trial in 2022 ended in a hung jury; a retrial the following year ended with Masterson convicted of two of the three counts of forcible rape. He was sentenced to 30 years to life (with the earliest possibility of being paroled coming after serving 25 and 1/2 years). He is incarcerated in California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los interesting element of this case involved the Church of Scientology, of which Masterson and all three victims were members. All three victims said the church tried to shield Masterson from accountability, and pressured them not to go to the authorities. As BuzzFeed News reported in 2022, one of the victims "recalled how she went to the church's Celebrity Centre in Hollywood to report the sexual assault, but instead of getting any assistance, she was warned against using the word 'rape' and told that she could be excommunicated from the church — and disavowed by her Scientologist family and friends — if she contacted police."In response to these allegations, the Church of Scientology told BuzzFeed, "The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or not, to law enforcement. Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally false." Actor Ryan Grantham How he's famous: Grantham was a succesful child actor, notably playing Rodney James in the 2010 movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Later, he appeared in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and in a 2019 episode of the CW's Riverdale. All told, Grantham amassed more than 30 acting credits in film and happened: On March 31, 2020, the then-21-year-old Grantham killed his mother by shooting her in the back of her head as she played piano in their British Columbia home. He then loaded up his car with guns and ammunition and began driving east with a plan to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He ultimately changed his mind and considered carrying out a mass shooting at his alma mater, Simon Fraser University, before deciding to turn himself to Grantham's lawyer, Grantham was assessed by two court appointed psychiatrists who 'agreed that at the time of this horrendous event, he (Grantham) was suffering from a major depressive disorder and a cannabis use disorder, among other things.' Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and — at his sentencing — pledged to spend his life rehabilitating himself and helping others. He is eligible for parole in 2036 after serving 14 years. Baseball player Mel Hall How he's famous: In 1981, Hall broke into the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs at just 20 years old, and went on to finish third in voting for the Rookie of the Year award. He played 13 seasons in total, including four with the New York Yankees, and retired with 134 home runs and a career .276 batting average. What happened: In 1989, during Hall's first year with the Yankees, he noticed a 15-year-old freshman in high school and her friends in the stands. He spent the game playfully pretending like he was going to toss her a ball but never did. At the suggestion of her father, the girl wrote Hall a letter asking for a signed ball, and to her shock, Hall called her house, inviting the family to another game. Soon, Hall ingratiated himself with the family, saying he was lonely with his new team. He began showing up at their home after games (sometimes in a limo) and hanging out with the girl talking late into the night. Hall started helping the family financially (paying to put in a swimming pool and for the mother to quit her job), then moved in with them. He began dating the girl with her parents' consent and even took over the parents' primary bedroom with the girl (the parents moved into their daughter's room). This relationship continued for years (the Yankees even published a photo of Hall and the girl at her high school prom in their media book) until the girl, then a 19-year-old woman, broke things off and started her life Hall's career ended, he became a girls' youth sports coach (for both basketball and softball), and did the same thing, earning the trust of families of young girls on his teams that he liked — again moving into a family's home in one circumstance — and sexually abusing the in 2007, two of his victims found each other online (including one who was just 12 when Hall first assaulted her) and went to the police. Hall was arrested, found guilty at trial, and convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child. He received a sentence of 45 years in prison (with no chance of parole for 22 years and 4 months). Hall is incarcerated at H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas, and isn't eligible for parole until Nov. 15, 2031. Actor Amy Locane How she's famous: Locane was an up-and-coming star in the early '90s, first starring opposite Johnny Depp in John Waters's cult classic Cry-Baby and then the critically acclaimed Blue Sky, which earned her a Young Artists' Award nomination for Best Performance by a Youth Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture. She was also a regular on the hit prime-time soap opera Melrose Place. She later retired from acting to raise her happened: On the night of June 27, 2010, Locane was driving 53 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone when she crashed into a car driven by Fred Seeman, who was making a left-hand turn into his driveway. Seeman's wife Helene, an NYU adjunct professor, was killed in the accident. When police arrived, Locane — who had been drinking at a friend's barbecue — was found to have a .23 blood alcohol level, more than three times the legal was convicted of second-degree vehicular homicide and assault by auto but received a sentence of only three years in jail, two less than the minimum sentence for the offense (the judge cited the welfare of Locane's children in giving the shorter sentence). Locane — who joined Alcoholics Anonymous after the crash and is now sober — served three years behind bars before being paroled on June 12, 2015, but an appeals court subsequently found her initial sentence to be too lenient and resentenced her to eight years in jail on September 17, 2020. She's currently incarcerated in New Jersey's Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women and is eligible for parole on Dec. 20, 2024. Reality TV star Josh Duggar How he's famous: Duggar is the oldest child of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, who became famous for their extremely large family of 19 children, as featured on the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting. The show often focused on Duggar and his wife, Anna, as they started their own family. What happened: In 2016, In Touch magazine obtained a police report that implicated Duggar as having molested numerous children — including his sisters — when he was a teenager. At the time of the crimes, Michelle and Jim Bob didn't go to the police. Instead, they consulted with their church leaders and had an Arkansas state trooper give Duggar "a very stern talk." The trooper was far from the ideal person to seek help from. He not only failed to report the crimes, but was later sentenced to 56 years in jail for child sexual abuse images. The release of the police report eventually led to a federal investigation of Duggar. After the authorities found child sexual abuse images on Duggar's computer at his used car dealership, they arrested Duggar on federal charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse images. At the trial, a Homeland Security agent described the images found on Duggar's computer as being "in the top five of the worst of the worst I've ever had to examine."Duggar was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison. He is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) Seagoville in Texas and won't be eligible for possible release until Oct. 2, 2032. Film producer Harvey Weinstein How he's famous: Weinstein — cofounder of the movie company Miramax — produced many critically acclaimed hit films during the '90s and '00s, including Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting. He won an Academy Award for producing Shakespeare in happened: After years of rumors, the New York Times published an investigation into Weinstein featuring the accounts of over a dozen women accusing the producer of sexual harassment and abuse. A New Yorker article followed days later with even more allegations. These reports opened the floodgates, and soon nearly 100 women (many very famous) came forward with accounts of Weinstein's abuse. On May 25, 2018, the New York district attorney's office charged Weinstein with "rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse, and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women." Among those who testified against Weinstein at the trial was actor Annabella Sciorra, who said that Weinstein burst into her apartment after dinner and raped her. "I said, 'No, no,'" Sciorra testified, "But there was not much I could do at that point. My body shut down. It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was unusual. I didn't really even know what was happening. It was like a seizure."Weinstein was found guilty and sentenced to 23 years in jail; he subsequently was tried in Los Angeles for more crimes and sentenced to 16 additional years. British prosecutors, meanwhile, have authorized police to charge Weinstein with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in London in is serving his sentence in New York State's Mohawk Correctional Facility, about 100 miles north of Albany. Actor and mixed martial arts fighter Joe Son How he's famous: Born in South Korea, Son moved to the United States as a child. He became a professional mixed martial arts fighter, fighting at the Ultimate Fighting Championship's UFC 3, but his fighting career ended uneventfully with an 0–4 record. Son made bigger waves as an actor, playing the bad guy in low-budget action films starring Lorenzo Lamas and Dolph Lundgren, and then — most notably — playing the villain Random Task in 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. What happened: In 2008, Son was arrested for kicking in the door of his roommate's car. As part of a plea deal, Son was required to provide a DNA sample to the authorities. When his sample was run through the system, it linked him to a horrific, nearly two-decade-old cold case. On Christmas Eve in 1990, he and an accomplice pretended to be lost as they approached a 19-year-old woman walking her dog. They then threw her into their car and held her hostage for hours, beating and raping her. Son also repeatedly threatened to shoot her as he counted the bullets in his gun. At the trial, the victim recounted how Son said "he was giving me to himself as a Christmas present." Son was convicted of one count of felony torture (the statute of limitations had run out on the sexual assault charges) and sentenced to seven years to life. Just a month after beginning his sentence, Son killed his cellmate. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to an additional 27 years. Reality TV star Jen Shah How she's famous: Shah starred on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City for three seasons, earning a reputation for sharp one-liners and, well, drama. What happened: Shah was criminally charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud in March 2021. She and her assistant were accused of orchestrating a telemarketer scam where they'd bilk their (usually) older victims out of large sums of money in exchange for services like website building and business coaching, which had little to no value. Nightline reported that a 75-year-old retiree in North Carolina named Trisha (she asked not to use her last name) invested more than half of her savings — $47,000 — on coaching about a business she hoped to start. Another victim, World War II veteran Ralph Hallock, was scammed out of more than $100,000. He died by suicide at the age of 92 (his family believes the scam contributed to his death).According to a sentencing memo from federal prosecutors, Shah "often joked about the victims' suffering and her employees' ability to victimize them." Texts were also released between Shah and her co-conspirators discussing how they could keep their victims hooked and spending more initially claimed she was innocent but eventually pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She was sentenced to serve 6½ years and is incarcerated at FPC Bryan Prison in Texas. She's eligible for parole in August 2028. Subway pitchman Jared Fogle How he's famous: Fogle made national headlines in 1999 when — as a student at Indiana University — he lost 245 pounds on a self-created diet where he exclusively ate Subway every day: a small turkey sub, a large veggie sub, baked potato chips, and diet soda. He was soon hired by Subway to be their spokesperson, and appeared in over 300 commercials between 2000 and happened: Fogle's seemingly wholesome story was revealed to have a dark underbelly on July 7, 2015, when Fogle's Indiana home was raided by the FBI and Indiana State Police investigators who confiscated computers and DVD players. Two months prior, Russell Taylor — the executive director of the Jared Foundation, a nonprofit that purported to fight childhood obesity — was arrested on federal child sexual abuse images charges, and in the course of investigating, authorities discovered he had traded sexually explicit videos of children as young as 6 years old with Fogle. Additionally, the FBI subpoenaed text messages Fogle traded in 2008 with a Subway franchisee he was having an affair with. The texts were damning: Fogle talked about sexually abusing children as young as 9 years old, and tried to enlist her help to sleep with her 16-year-old cousin. Further investigation found that Fogle traveled to New York to have sex with a 17-year-old underage sex worker, and offered adult sex workers a finder's fee if they'd connect him with a possibility of 50 years in jail if he went to trial, Fogle pleaded guilty to two counts: distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse images, and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in prison. He's currently incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, and isn't eligible for parole until March 24, 2029. Actor Michael Jace How he's famous: Jace was best known for playing Officer Julien Lowe on the FX police drama The Shield but also appeared in high-profile motion pictures like Forrest Gump and Boogie Nights. What happened: On May 19, 2024, at Jace's home in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles, Jace shot his wife April — an elite, medal-winning sprinter — in the back as their young sons, ages 5 and 8, looked on from their bedroom. Prosecutors said Jace then shot his wife in the legs before telling her, "If you like running, then run to heaven."Prosecutors further contended that Jace — who had been drinking all day — was "obsessed" with the idea his wife might leave him and believed she was having an was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. At his sentencing, Jace said, "There is absolutely no justification for my actions on that night. I am profoundly sorry for the pain that I've caused everyone." Jace is serving his sentence at California State Prison, Corcoran. Musician R. Kelly How he's famous: Sometimes called the King of R&B, Kelly is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, selling over 75 million records. "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition (Remix)" are probably his best-known songs. He also wrote songs for other artists, including Michael Jackson's No. 1 hit, "You Are Not Alone."What happened: Allegations of sexual abuse of minors have followed Kelly for most of his career, but for a long time, he escaped accountability. In 1994, a then-27-year-old Kelly married his protégé Aaliyah, who was just 15 (Aaliyah ended the marriage when her family found out). Two years later, a woman filed a civil suit against Kelly, alleging that he had a sexual relationship with her starting at age 15. Kelly settled the case out of 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Chicago police had begun investigations into Kelly and allegations that he'd had sex with a minor but had to drop them due to a lack of cooperation from the accusers. In 2002, a video circulated of what was alleged to be Kelly urinating on an underage girl and engaging in sex acts. This led to Kelly being charged with 21 counts of child sexual abuse images. Shortly after that, Kelly was charged in Florida with 12 additional charges of producing child sexual abuse images after police raided Kelly's home and allegedly found images of him having sex with a minor on a digital camera. The Florida charges, however, were thrown out when a judge ruled the police lacked probable cause for the search warrant. The Chicago charges ended in Kelly's favor, too, when a 2008 trial ended with him being found not guilty because it couldn't be proven the girl on the tape was a minor. In 2017, BuzzFeed News reported that the parents of three legal-aged young women claimed their daughters were being "held against their will" by Kelly in what was described as a "cult." This led to others coming forward with more allegations against Kelly, including that he'd had sex with minors. Then, in 2019, a comprehensive, six-hour Lifetime documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, put Kelly and his crimes under the spotlight even more. Police in Chicago charged him with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (after acquiring a tape of Kelly allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old), and federal authorities indicted him twice for crimes related to his sexual abuse of minors. In 2022, Kelly was found guilty in both federal trials and sentenced to spend 31 years in jail. He is currently serving his sentence at FCI Butner Medium I, a medium-security prison in North Carolina, and won't be eligible for parole until 2047 when he is around 80. Reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley How they're famous: Real estate tycoon Todd Chrisley and his wife Julie were the stars of the USA Network's reality show Chrisley Knows Best, which followed the couple as they raised five children with a "brutally honest" parenting style. The show debuted to solid ratings in 2014 and continued until happened: In August 2019, The Chrisleys were indicted on charges of having evading nearly $2 million in state taxes, using their production company to hide over $1 million of reality TV income from the IRS, and directing an employee to falsify income and asset documents. The Chrisleys pleaded not guilty to the crimes and scored a big win two months later when prosecutors dropped the state tax charges (the Georgia Department of Revenue found that, instead of failing to pay $2 million in taxes, the Chrisleys actually owed less than $77,000 due to an incorrect filing on one tax return).The reality stars still faced the charges related to bank fraud and their federal taxes, and those proved much stickier. During opening statements at the trial, prosecutors painted a picture of the Chrisleys exaggerating their wealth to banks and submitting false documents to borrow over $30 million in order to keep their affluent lifestyle the while hiding money from the IRS."They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it," Assistant US Attorney Annalise Peters a nearly three-week trial, the couple were found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax fraud. Julie was also convicted of wire fraud. Todd was sentenced to 12 years, and Julie was sentenced to 7. Todd is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FPI) Pensacola in Florida, while Julie is incarcerated at Florida's Federal Correctional Institution Marianna. Todd was eligible to be released on Jan. 22, 2033; Julie was eligible to be released on Oct. 19, 2028. They have both since been pardoned by Donald Trump. Reality TV star Jerry Harris How he's famous: Harris starred on the Emmy-award-winning Netflix docuseries Cheer about the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team from Corsicana, Texas. He became a fan favorite for his big personality and even endeared himself to Ellen DeGeneres, who invited him to attend the 2020 Academy Awards as her show's happened: In September 2020, a federal warrant was issued for Harris alleging that, when he was 19, he asked 13-year-old twin boys to send nude photos, one of whom agreed to do so. On the second season of Cheer, the boy described how the abuse began, saying, "I told him that I was 13, and then after that — right off the bat — he asked me, 'Can I have butt pics?' or 'Can you send butt pics?'" Harris was soon arrested and charged with the production of child sexual abuse images (according to authorities, Harris admitted to trading sexual images with 10–15 children he knew were minors). Court documents also stated that the then-19-year-old Harris had sex with a 15-year-old in February 2022, Harris pleaded guilty on charges of child sexual abuse images and traveling for illicit sex with minors. He was sentenced to spend 12 years in a federal prison in Oklahoma City. Rock star Gary Glitter How he's famous: Gary Glitter — real name Paul Gadd — was a popular British glam rock star of the '70s and '80s. He sold over 20 million records and released scores of hit singles in the UK, including "Rock and Roll Part 2," which has been played endlessly at sporting events across America. The song was also used in the film Joker when Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck dances down a staircase. What happened: In 1997, Glitter brought his laptop in to be repaired, and the technician found sexual abuse images of children on the hard drive. After police searched Glitter's home and found more images of children, he was arrested and eventually sentenced to four months in jail. After being released, Glitter left the UK, where he'd become persona non grata. In 2005, Glitter established a new home in Vietnam, but within months, authorities arrested him for molesting two girls, ages 11 and 12. Glitter was found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail. At his sentencing, the judge said: "His lewd acts have compromised the dignity of the Vietnamese people, law, and common sense." Glitter, meanwhile, claimed his innocence and said it was all a "conspiracy."Upon completing his sentence in 2008, Glitter did everything he could to avoid being deported to the UK, including feigning having a heart attack. Nevertheless, he eventually was returned to England and placed on the sex offender's registry. Four years passed uneventfully until ITV aired a documentary about Top of the Pops host Jimmy Savile and his alleged sexual abuse. In the documentary, there was a segment accusing Glitter of raping a 13- or 14-year-old girl in Savile's BBC dressing room during the late '70s. This led to Glitter being arrested and standing trial for sexually abusing three young girls, ages 12, 11, and less than 10, between the years 1975 and 1980. Glitter was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in jail, with the judge saying at the hearing, "It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behavior."In February of 2023, Glitter was released from jail after serving half his sentence. However, one month later, he was thrown back into jail after violating his release conditions by trying to access the dark web and viewing downloaded images of children. The now-79-year-old disgraced pop star was denied parole earlier this year and remains behind bars. Football star Dave Meggett How he's famous: A 10-year veteran of the NFL, Meggett won a Super Bowl in 1990 with the New York Giants and made two All-Pro teams (once with the Giants and once with the New England Patriots). Meggett played running back and receiver but was best known as an elite return specialist. At the time of his retirement, he had the most punt return yards in NFL history (3,709).What happened: In 1998, Meggett was accused of sexually assaulting and robbing a Toronto sex worker, but prosecutors eventually dropped the sexual assault charge and only tried Meggett for the robbery; the trial ended in a hung jury. This started a pattern of Meggett escaping serious accountability for his crimes, even as he was subsequently accused of sexual assault by three additional women — including one who said Meggett put a date rape drug in her drink at a bar, dragged her to his Porsche, and then raped was finally brought to justice in 2009 after he broke into the home of a woman he'd loaned $200 and sat on the edge of her bed. She awoke, startled, and he demanded she repay him. When she didn't have the money, he said, "I'm gonna get a down payment now" and raped her. Once Meggett left, the victim went to the hospital, where doctors found vaginal abrasions consistent with sexual was convicted of burglary and criminal sexual conduct and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He's presently incarcerated at South Carolina's Lieber Correctional Institution and isn't eligible for parole until July 6, 2034. UPDATE The post has been updated to include a statement from the Church of Scientology.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Courtroom chaos unravels as son charges at father's killer: ‘Going to eat your f–king heart'
Chaos exploded in a California courtroom Thursday when a grieving son charged at the man who killed his father in a shooting outside their family home. Israel Trevino III hurled threats and tried to hop over the court gate just moments after a judge sentenced convicted killer Joe Gomez Jr., to life behind bars. Wild video of the encounter showed officers rushing Gomez into the back rooms as Trevino's anguished shouts could be heard in the background. 4 Deputies rushed Gomez out of the courtroom as Trevino began shouting. ABC 30 Behind the camera, Trevino's family desperately held him back by his shirt as he attempted to hop the railing, according to ABC Action News. 'You couldn't take me, huh? Huh, motherf–ker? Huh? Huh?' Trevino can be heard screaming. 'That was my dad! That was my dad! Motherf–ker. I'm going to f–king hunt you, and when you come out, I'm going to eat your f–king heart!' The chaos lasted just two minutes, and Judge Arlan Harrell verbally reprimanded Trevino for the display. 4 Joe Gomez Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for killing Israel Trevino Jr. and shooting his son. Fresno County Sheriff's Office 4 Israel Trevino Jr. was killed outside his home in 2021. GoFundMe 'You have every right to let it out. But please do not take it out on these people who are here doing their job. OK? Harrell said. Gomez, 63, was convicted last year of gunning down Trevino's father and namesake outside his home in 2021. Trevino testified that Gomez repeatedly drove by the family's home, revving his engine and driving erratically before walking up to the father and son to accuse the elder Trevino of 'talking s–t on Facebook.' 4 Trevino's son charged the courtroom at Gomez's sentencing. Israel Trevino Jr / Facebook Then Gomez pulled out a gun and opened fire, killing the father, a retired corrections officer, and pumping several bullets into his son's torso. 'The big question is, 'Why?' It's never been addressed. It's never been answered,' Harrell said in court. Gomez continues to maintain his innocence — and used his final words in court to criticize the legal system. 'The defendant, Joe Gomez's, constitutional due process rights to a fair trial and an impartial trial were violated with suppression of evidence by a state attorney and the conviction of (inaudible) perjury. I, Joe Gomez, am going to file an appeal with an appellate court,' he said. A judge on Thursday denied his request for a new trial.
Time Business News
2 days ago
- Time Business News
Christian CassarlyThe Miracle of Superpower Thinking
Some stories are so layered with pain, misunderstanding, and injustice that the only way to tell them is through the fruit that came after. This is not a story about defending a man. It's about witnessing a miracle—one so radical, so generous, and so complete that it forces us to confront what truth really looks like. The man in the system tried to disappear. The man the courts offered to bury in a mental ward for the sake of convenience. The man who walked through ten years of shame, silence, and rejection. And the man who responded with one of the most sacred and prophetic acts of generosity we've seen in modern Catholic history. The Gift: A Fully Developed, $100,000 Education—Given Freely to the Poor Christian Cassarly spent six years building Superpower Thinking (SPT)—a complete, Ivy League-grade trading and financial formation platform. It includes: 75 advanced courses, each backed by a book Proprietary frameworks for trading, capital protection, emotional strategy, and generational wealth A system designed to produce elite, spiritually grounded investors A structure as deep and rich as a four-year university program It has not yet been globally used—but it is complete, activated, and ready to transform lives. And now, Cassarly has announced that every Catholic high school graduate who cannot afford college will receive the entire program for free. 'All they have to do is attend church weekly. That's it. Show God they're showing up—and I'll show up for them.' It's a prophecy. It's a divine reversal. And it's evidence. When Fruit Speaks Louder Than Labels Years ago, Cassarly was falsely accused in a case that spiraled far beyond reality. The narrative was distorted: a six-month-old cousin was cited as a six-year-old child. There was no act, no crime, no predation. But the plea was forced. Violence in jail. A system eager to close a case. They offered him one year in a mental facility—not for healing, but for silence. And what he built afterward was so saturated with clarity, discipline, spiritual conviction, and brilliance that it forces any reasonable person to re-examine the entire narrative. 'You can tell a tree by its fruit. And if my life was what they said it was—this fruit could never exist.' Cassarly isn't giving SPT to universities. He's not selling it to hedge funds. He's giving it to the Church. To the very young people the world often forgets. To the faithful poor. To the families who cannot afford the gates of college. To the ones who still bow their heads in Mass and wonder if anyone sees them. 'I was raised by the Church. I was fed by the Eucharist. I cried in pews when no one saw me. I owe everything to God—and now, I bring Him my first fruits.' This is a $100,000-level education—built for full market readiness, ready to multiply capital, steward wealth, and raise up a new generation of traders, investors, and leaders who fear God and move with precision. The world would sell it. He is giving it away. That alone says everything. This Act Is the Proof You cannot build it out of guilt. You cannot offer it out of delusion. You cannot forge this kind of system if your life is disorder, confusion, or evil. What Cassarly has done is not just generous. It is mathematically exact, prophetically timed, and spiritually whole. 'I'm not asking them to clear my name. I'm asking them to look at what came out of my life. That's how God proves a man—by what he produces.' This is not a redemption story. This is a resurrection story. And resurrection is the highest proof of innocence. Final Word: He Didn't Need the Court to Vindicate Him—The Fruit Did The world tried to label him mentally unfit. Today, he is mentally sharper than most institutions. The world tried to call him unsafe. Today, he is building infrastructure to safeguard the next generation's future. And the Church—the very place where he once sat as a child—is now receiving his greatest work. That is the miracle. That is the proof. And that is why Christian Cassarly is not just innocent—he is appointed. This is not just a gift. It is a divine interruption. It is Superpower Thinking. For parishes, schools, and Catholic youth ministries: 🌐 TIME BUSINESS NEWS
