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LA Not God-Forsaken: Faithful Angelenos Follow Archbishop to Rome
Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio takes questions from the media at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels this morning | AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
Looks like there's some hope for us sinful Hollywood folk yet. KNBC reports that a group of Catholic believers followed Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez to Rome this week, to be there for his pallium ceremony in which he receives his fancy new Archbishop-y duds from the pope.
Gomez was appointed to the Archbishop position in on April 6, 2010, and is the first Hispanic to hold the post. Before coming to LA, the Mexican-born man of God served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Denver from 2001-2004 and as Archbishop of San Antonio from 2004-2010. He was appointed after former Cardinal Roger M. Mahoney turned 75 and had to retire.
Gomez came into the L.A. archdiocese in the wake of a bit of a scandal, with Mahoney having recently agreed to a settlement that doled out $660 million to over 500 alleged victims of sexual abuse at the hands of church leaders.
In Rome, Gomez told his followers -- which included former governor Gray Davis -- that they have a friend up above. According to KNBC:
His words to the faithful: "You are never alone... God loves you and God is in your life."