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American Morning

Protesters Surround Good Friday Mass

Aired March 29, 2002 - 07:27   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Today inside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Massachusetts, embattled Cardinal Bernard Law will celebrate a traditional Good Friday mass. But outside, protesters, including victims who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of priests, are planning to form a human chain around the church.

Jan Leary, the protest organizer, says she and the protesters want justice. And she joins us this morning on AMERICAN MORNING from Boston -- it's nice to have you with us, Ms. Leary. Thank you for joining us.

JAN LEARY, PROTEST ORGANIZER: Thank you. Good to be here.

CAFFERTY: A few would argue that the cause is a just one, that the issues in this story are very, very real. But critics might argue with the timing. Good Friday is one of the holiest days for Christians of the entire year. Is it appropriate to do this kind of thing today?

LEARY: Absolutely. We're going to be praying in solidarity with the victims and in sorrow. We'll be doing a focus on an adapted version, a beautiful version of the stations of the cross in solidarity with the victims of sexual abuse.

CAFFERTY: You -- my other things say that one of the reasons for the protest is you're seeking justice for these victims.

LEARY: Yes.

CAFFERTY: What in your mind would constitute justice for these people?

LEARY: All Catholics and everyone knows that human beings have an infinite preciousness. The hierarchy put the value of the image of the church above the infinite preciousness of these human beings who were young boys. There's an apology that's needed. An apology from the Cardinal Law, an apology from every one of the hierarchy throughout the country.

We need also a process that's well thought out in the form of a truth and reconciliation process for the victims. That's the kind of justice we're looking for.

CAFFERTY: Many within the Catholic hierarchy reaching all the way to the Vatican have addressed this issue and expressed varying amounts of regret over the history of sexual abuse, the way the church handled it. It's apparently not enough, as far as you're concerned.

LEARY: Absolutely not enough. We need to have the victims express what they need. We need to have the victim survivors talk directly to people like Cardinal Law one on one, and without Cardinal Law's bodyguards around him. We want Cardinal Law to listen to the victims to what they're saying.

CAFFERTY: What changes have to take place in the church so that this situation is resolved satisfactorily in your opinion?

LEARY: In the long run -- and this is what our coalition of concerned Catholics is going to be addressing once Good Friday is passed. And we do want as many people to come today to the Good Friday gathering outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. There will be a wall of sorrows this afternoon, where we will be able to express what we feel.

Beyond today, what we're planning to do is call for structural change in the entire church. That includes -- in my lifetime, I believe there will be married priests in the priesthood. There will be women priests. It has to happen.

CAFFERTY: All right.

LEARY: If you look at the average age of the -- of the priests in Boston, it's 62. They're going to be dead.

CAFFERTY: All right.

LEARY: Within a number of years, half of them...

CAFFERTY: Jan, I apologize for having to cut this a bit short. We are dealing with some breaking news out of the Middle East and we are pressed to give the proper amount of attention to all the events on the broadcast this morning. But I thank you for the few minutes that we had with you this morning.

Jan Leary is one of the organizers, a concerned Catholic -- lifelong Catholic behind the protests to take place in Boston at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross when Cardinal Bernard Law conducts Good Friday services -- Paula.

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