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Vatican Officials Prepare Meetings With American Cardinals

Aired April 22, 2002 - 14:15   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Rome, where the stage is set for an unprecedented Vatican drama. Over the next two days, Vatican officials, including the pope, will meet with American cardinals to discuss the priest sex abuse scandal in the U.S. We get more from CNN's Jonathan Mann in Rome. Hi again, John.

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it is a cool spring evening in Rome. The sun is setting on the Vatican. You can see they've turned on the lights of Saint Peter's behind me. In the shadow of Saint Peter's is another building you can't see as clearly. I called it the Pontifical Palace an hour ago. Let me correct that. It is the Apostolic Palace.

But it is the place where the pontiff, John Paul II, lives and works. And it's where the 13 U.S. cardinals who he has summoned will be meeting Tuesday and Wednesday to talk about the sex abuse scandal in the United States.

Now, the word we have is that preparatory conversations are being held in fact this evening, which is important, both for Tuesday's meetings and because of something that the "Los Angeles Times" is reporting in its editions today. And that is that a conversation was to be held between some cardinals and senior Vatican officials, even before the official meetings.

A very special conversation, it is said, because those cardinals were going to ask for the Vatican's help in seeking the resignation of Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law -- a figure who has become a lightning rod for criticism, because though he's not accused of abuse of any kind, he is accused of tolerating some sexually abusive priests, who he transferred rather than defrocking.

Cardinal Law arrived in Rome today along with several other cardinals who are coming here. That story about the "Los Angeles Times" is a hint of the pressures that are on these men. We spoke to several of the cardinals about it. Here's what we heard from Cardinal Edgar (sic) McCarrick of Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, WASHINGTON: Cardinal Law has been saying the troubles began on his watch and he wants to fix it. And so I think, give him a chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: We're hearing the bells behind me. Is there a consensus? Are the cardinals really taking an unprecedented step, any of them? Publicly, through this way, seeking the resignation of one of their colleagues, that's unclear. What is clear is that this is very much a topic of conversation.

We heard just a short time ago, speaking to the vice president of the U.S. conference of bishops, that this is on a lot of people's minds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BISHOP WILLIAM SHYLSTAND, CONF. OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS: I can't say where the bishops are. Some that I have talked to would feel that way, I'm sure. But I can't say what the percentage of the bishops in the country would be, in that regard.

I think the issue of Cardinal Law and his situation in the archdiocese of Boston, in terms of his future role there, needs to be discussed with the Holy Father. I think he's probably done that already, as I see reports. And that's a very personal matter between him and the Holy Father. Because ultimately it's the Holy Father who would give him a sense of direction as to his future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: The Pope will supply the sense of direction. He is to speak to the cardinals when they gather on Tuesday. We're told that he will try to be as present as he can be in these meeting.

But they are going on with some very senior people in the Vatican, after being really accused of not take this scandal seriously enough, in the highest ranks of the church. The Vatican is, at the very least, showing with this extraordinary two days of meetings, that it is paying a lot of attention now -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jonathan Mann from Rome, thank you.

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