Los Angeles Times is accused of 'Catholic bashing' p.

By: M.L. Stein

Newspaper's survey of sexual activity among priests and nuns offends cardinal sp.

A LOS ANGELES Times poll of priests and nuns has been attacked sharply by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, who accused the newspaper of engaging in "the American media's favorite pastime ? Catholic bashing."
The survey, which is in progress, was defended by Times editor and executive vice president Shelby Coffey III as "well-reasoned and fair."
The Times has sent questionnaires to several thousand priests and nuns throughout the United States in what the paper says is an effort "to better understand the issues and challenges facing the Roman Catholic Church."
In a letter to Coffey and Times publisher and CEO David Laventhol, Mahony said he was offended by the questions, which he said are "heavily skewed toward researching specific, predetermined conclusions."
The Los Angeles cardinal continued, "While I recognize and acknowledge your First Amendment rights to publish anything you wish, at the same time, I must object most vigorously to this clumsy, superficial effort to generate headlines at the expense of the U.S. Catholic Church."
Mahony said the questions contained in the poll are "limited to issues of church authority, sex and whether priests are sexually active."
"Clearly," the prelate wrote, "the tone of the surveys reveals that whoever prepared them does not have much respect for priestly life or commitment and is trying to determine how many are active either heterosexually or homosexually. I find this not only sad but repulsive and demeaning ? an insult to the calling of the priesthood."
The Times would not release a copy of the survey, but a spokeswoman said the questions deal with the topics cited by Mahony as well as a wide range of other issues, including whether the U.S. media's treatment of the Catholic Church is fair.
"We're very pleased with the number of responses so far," spokeswoman Laura Morgan said, adding that no other high church officials had complained about the poll.
Coffey issued this statement: "The Times has one of the best opinion researchers in the business [John Brennan]. Our polls are nationally and internationally recognized as well-reasoned and fair ? as is our coverage of religion.
"Our role is to report, not exacerbate. Our interest in this survey is a journalistic one: to examine a range of subjects ? some controversial, some less so ? that are important to the people within the Catholic Church today. The intent is not to provoke but to aid discussion."
Coffey noted that priests and nuns are under no obligation to respond to the questionnaire if they agree with Mahony's view.
He said the results will be published in the "next several weeks."