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12 U.S. Cardinals Appear to be Leaning Toward 'One Strike and You're Out' Policy

Aired April 24, 2002 - 13:01   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: Those 12 U.S. cardinals appear to be leaning toward a one-strike-and-you're-out policy for priests who molest children. But details of the policy and how it would be applied are not clear yet. Right now, the cardinals are wrapping up their two-day summit. They're believed to be drafting a statement that we expect to be released in just a few hours. We want to update you on the sex abuse summit between Pope John Paul II and the cardinals.

CNN's Jonathan Mann joins us live once again from Rome with the latest -- John.

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, in fact, we're led to believe the formal discussions are over, and the final communique is really just a short time away. The cardinals' came to the Vatican really with one key issue to decide: how to proceed, and in particular, what to do about priests who turn out to be sexual predators, what to do with their place in the church.

Well, there were those who believe that those men, those priests, could be helped that they could keep their place in the church if they kept through process, and prayer and therapy and meditation that the catholic church calls conversion. There are others, and many among the faithful, who think they should be far away from a position in which they can harm anyone else. Those people are calling for zero tolerance, or what is being called one-strike-and-you're out.

A short time from now, we'll know more, but one strike and your out does seem to be the consensus position. A short time ago, we heard from one of the cardinals who is involved in the discussions, cardinal Keeler.

This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARDINAL WILLIAM KEELER, BALTIMORE: I'm not sure that the language of the baseball field is going to do the trick for us. What I say if there is a credible allegation of abuse, and if that allegation is sustained by investigation, there that has to be an investigation looking at that. Then the individual who is accused should not be in a position ever to do harm to a little one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: Does that mean that a priest who is found to have abused a child will be defrocked? Does it mean that a priest who has been found to have abused a child will be moved into other work within a church, say within the prison or within the church bureaucracy. We still don't know. Some of those questions, though, we are expecting to hear answered in about 30 minutes' time. It may be a little bit later than that. But very soon, we are expecting a news conference from the U.S. cardinals with the final communique and some answers to the questions that 60 million Catholics in the United States have had now for some time, questions which are really probing very deep and painfully into the heart of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jonathan, what about the resignation of cardinal Law? Was that discussed at all today?

MANN: We don't know. We know less about what happened today than yesterday, and we learned yesterday that in fact cardinal Law himself spoke to that issue in a sense, offering his apology to the assembled cardinals, telling them that if it weren't for his mistakes, they wouldn't all be here in the Vatican. Another way of saying, if it weren't for his mistakes, the church itself wouldn't be in this position.

But no one asked for his resignation. We were told that very explicitly, and it was not offered to the assembled cardinals. I would assume that put the matter behind them on Monday, but we'll know more, once again. in about 30 minute's time.

PHILLIPS: And we'll be checking in.

Jonathan Mann, thank you.

Many American Catholics are following developments at the Vatican, especially those in the Boston archdiocese, where the sex abuse scandal first exploded.

CNN's Jason Carroll is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A number of people here in Boston ARE still waiting to hear specific details coming out of those meeting there at the Vatican. Yesterday, you remember, Cardinal law apologized to the other cardinals as well as Vatican officials, saying part of the reason why they're there is because of what happened here in Boston.

A number of people here definitely encouraged to hear the cardinal apologize for his past actions, also encouraged to hear about that one-strike-and-you're-out policy. Joining me right now is Bob Bartlett. He is a victim. You were abused when you were a child here in Boston.

Give me your reaction to "one strike and you're out" policy. We know that it's going to apply to future cases, but unclear as to whether or not it will apply to past cases.

BOB BARTLETT, ALLEGED ABUSE VICTIM: That's a very good distinction, Jason, because my feeling is it's a small step in the right direction. A lot of people might be thinking that it's a major step, but in fact, it's a small step, because we need to see what's established.

Now, as far as future, absolutely, one step -- one strike and you're out policy will apply. As far as the older cases such as my own, my feeling is that it should apply there as well.

CARROLL: Should apply to the older cases as well.

BARTLETT: Yes.

CARROLL: What are your thoughts on word that there might be some sort of a review board, partially made of lay people that could look at these types of cases?

BARTLETT: I think it's absolutely necessary. The archdiocese and the Catholic Church has already demonstrated that they can't do a correct job on their own. So they've got to get some help. And this way here, you are going to have not only the religious, the lay people will have a say in how it comes out.

CARROLL: Cardinal Law's resignation not brought up during these meeting. Your thoughts on that?

BARTLETT: The cardinal needs to have a few things done. My feeling personally, at this moment, I don't think it's necessary that he resign. I'm going to have to see a good policy in effect, an implementable policy, a plausible policy, and I'm going to have to see that carried out. If the cardinal can institute such a policy and make it effective, by all means, give the man a chance to correct the law.

CARROLL: So believe he should be given a chance to stay.

All right, thanks very much.

Bob Bartlett, thanks again very much for joining us.

Again, cardinal Law's resignation not brought up at meeting there at the Vatican. A number of people here in Boston feel at though he should resign, but as you heard Bob Bartlett just say, he feels as though he should be given a chance to stay and initiate reforms.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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