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CNN Live Today
Recent Allegations of Abuse in Boston Shaking Trust of Some of Catholic Church's Most Reliable Supporters
Aired March 27, 2002 - 12:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to focus our attention back in this country now, the sexual abuse scandal of the Catholic Church. The cardinal of the archdiocese in Boston praised hundreds of priests for their loyalty as they renewed their seminary vows yesterday during Holy Week. The recent allegations of abuse emerged in Boston in January, shaking the trust of some of the church's most reliable supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL BERNARD LAW, BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE: When the sickness and infidelity of some in our ranks have inflicted untold harm on children and even shaken the trust of some in the church, your courageous witness of faith and love stand as a beacon of hope for the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: The archbishop of Washington also has turned a rather unconventional means to reach out to young believers. Concerned about the abuse, Bruce Morton now has that story from D.C.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's not a rock star. Could be a politician working the crowd, shaking hands. But, no, he is Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington. What's he doing in a bar? It's called theology on tap. And twice a year, church people come here one night a week for six weeks to reach out to young people. The cardinal is the last speaker in this six pack, and his topic, of course, is the cure over child abuse by priests.
CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, ARCHBISHOP OF WASHINGTON: Even one case of this is a disaster for the church. Even one priest who would so violate the trust and confidence that people put into him is a disaster for the church.
MORTON: But here, he says, the church is committed to a policy of openness and truth.
MCCARRICK: We are committed to doing what is right. We are committed to taking anyone who is accused in a credible accusation off the job, giving them a chance to get some therapy, get some help. Letting the civil authorities know, as we are obliged to do, and making sure that people are not going to be in any way abused.
MORTON: He points out that more is known about pedophilia, it's diagnosis and treatment nowadays.
MCCARRICK: You can't judge (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- you can't judge what happened 25 years ago by what we know today.
MORTON: And he says there is less child abuse among priests than among the population at large.
MCCARRICK: A non-Catholic minister has this problem, it may be up to page six. If it's a priest, it's headlines. Now that's a tribute to the church, because they expect our priests to be men of trust and confidence.
MORTON: Polls show American Catholics worried about the problem. In this bar, the few hundred who listened heard frank talk about the problem and what the archdiocese is doing about it. They liked what they heard.
Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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