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CNN Live At Daybreak

Nation's Cardinals Scheduled to Gather in Philadelphia Tonight For Dinner

Aired April 26, 2002 - 05:02   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And the nation's cardinals are scheduled to gather in Philadelphia tonight for a dinner. It is not open to the media, however. The cardinals are fresh from Rome, where they met with the pope for two days over the sex abuse scandal that's rocked the Catholic Church. Many Catholics are disappointed that the cardinals failed to adopt a zero tolerance policy towards pedophile priests.

More talk about the church now. Embattled Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston is expected at that Philadelphia gathering. He's been strongly criticized for his handling of the accused pedophile priest Paul Shanley.

And now there is disturbing new evidence in the Shanley case that you won't believe.

Our Jason Carroll has it for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Boston's embattled Cardinal Bernard Law is back from the Vatican meetings and will have to face new troubles here at home. The Archdiocese of Boston released new documents relating to fps, an accused sex abuser. There are about 800 pages which archdiocese officials say they overlooked.

REV. CHRIS COYNE, ST. JOHN'S SEMINARY: It's terribly embarrassing to come out and say this, that at this late a date they found files like that.

CARROLL: The files include some of Shanley's writings on subjects such as counseling the young about how to take drugs without overdosing. He writes, "Much of my life these last few years has been choosing not twixt good and evil, but the lesser of the two evils. My god, I've even taught kids to shoot up properly." Shanley later explained he was trying to prevent kids from dying.

Another page is titled venereal disease. Shanley says, "One of the first things I do in a new city is to sign up at the local clinic for help with my V.D. The documents do not indicate how he would have contracted such a disease or whether he got it before priesthood. RODERICK MACLEISH, ALLEGED VICTIM'S ATTORNEY: But these are the writings of a perverted monster who was sent out into the field unsupervised to be with alienated youth, with children.

CARROLL: The documents also show clergy were warned about Shanley and allegations he spoke at the opening session of NAMBLA, the North American Man Boy Love Association.

PAULA FORD, ALLEGED VICTIM'S MOTHER: This is the church that we are talking about. It is the most twisted story. If I read it, I wouldn't believe it.

CARROLL: It was fallout from the Shanley documents released a few weeks ago that sparked calls for Cardinal Law's resignation. Those documents showed Law and other clergy moved Shanley from parish to parish despite accusations of sexual abuse. It's unclear how the new documents will affect Boston's archbishop, who has pledged to address the crisis as long as god gives him the opportunity to do so.

(on camera): Shanley's co-counsel told CNN that he has not had the opportunity to look at these new documents. Shanley hasn't commented on any of the charges. He hasn't been seen publicly since the scandal broke.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And you can read up on the Shanley file on our Web site. Plus, there's an extensive look at the crisis in the priesthood. The address is, of course, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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