A member of the Catholic group Opus Dei has been appointed the new Archbishop of Los Angeles Monday.
The appointment will lead to Mexican-born Jose Gomez, formerly the Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas, becoming the first Latin American U.S. Cardinal. This position will give him influence in Rome and the right to vote at a papal conclave.
Archbishop Jose Gomez talks about his Latino background. (Video by Caroline Vandergriff)
A papal conclave is a meeting where all the Cardinals convene to elect the pope.
The appointment is the most senior appointment for a member of the group. It will also give Opus Dei influence in the American Church and Vatican.
Some Catholics are unhappy with the appointment, including the Catholics of Hollywood, which fall within the archdiocese.
Archbishop Gomez joined Opus Dei in 1978. He is one of 22 bishops worldwide who belong to the group. The movement was founded in 1928 by St. Jose Maria Escriva, a Spanish priest, to help Catholics find salvation in their ordinary lives.
Opus Dei is considered one of the most devout Catholic groups. Some of its priests practice self-flagellation while praying and wear a cilice – a spiked garter – to help them avoid sexual sins.
These practices were described in Dan Brown’s book, The Da Vinci Code.
None of the Opus Dei priests has been involved in a sexual scandal. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, however, is one of the worst afflicted by the clerical sexual abuse crisis that has troubled the U.S. Church since 2002.
Three years ago Cardinal Roger Mahony, the reigning archbishop, agreed to a $660 million settlement with more than 500 alleged victims of clergy abuse.
A federal grand jury is also investigating how the Archdiocese of Los Angeles handled the abuse claims.
Archbishop Gomez will work with Cardinal Mahony and take over when Mahony retires next year at age 75.
