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CNN Live Today

Bishops Have Plan to Deal With Priests' Sex Abuse

Aired June 04, 2002 - 13:16   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: On that note, we move on to the latest on the crisis in the priesthood. Catholic bishops have come up with a new plan designed to restore faith in a church badly shaken by accusations of sex abuse and cover-ups.

CNN's Jason Carroll joins us live from Washington with some of those proposed reforms.

Jason, are the victims' family likely to be happy with some of these proposals?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not likely. Not likely with this entire working charter that Archbishop Harry Flynn has called it. He says that there's still wigggle room in this charter. He says it is a working charter, and there is room to change it.

But he was also very up front. He said that there is one particular part of this working charter that will be discussed next week when the U.S. Conference of Bishops meets in Dallas. There is one particular part, he said, that is probably going to be hotly debated, and that is the idea of zero tolerance. This is what a number of the victims want. A number of the victims say that the church should adopt some sort of a zero-tolerance or one-strike-and- you're-out type of policy.

And in fact, Archbishop Flynn even said during this press conference, he said there is no place in the priesthood for those who would abuse children. However, there is a provision in this working charter that they've come up with that would do that.

In one particular situation, there are certain guidelines here that they've outlined. First, there would only have to be one offense. Second, not -- this priest would have to not be diagnosed as a pedophile. And third, this priest would have to have had some sort of clean record since that offense occurred.

Just a short while ago, Archbishop Flynn outlined more of his insight into this idea of zero tolerance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARCHBISHOP HARRY, ADHOC COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Even though I've used it myself, the phrase "zero tolerance," I don't know whether or not that is good phrase to use. But I think that what this document says is that from this day forward, anyone who offends will be out of the priesthood. Again, responding to the call of our holy father.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Archbishop Flynn said that there are some strong points in this working charter that he believes that some of the victims and their family members out there will definitely favor, the first being that the diocese will report any accusation of sexual abuse of a person who is a minor to the proper authorities and cooperate in their investigation.

Second, as a preventative measure regarding acts of sexual abuse committed subsequent to this date, even a single act of abuse of a minor will bring about a request for laicization; that's basically meaning the reducing of a cleric to lay status.

Third, regarding acts of sexual abuse of a minor committed prior to this date, if the cleric is a pedophile or if he has committed more than one act of sexual abuse of a minor, there will be a request for the cleric's laicization, even without his consent, if necessary, as you see there.

Now, there is one other point here that we should bring out, and that is in the past, there have been many situations -- especially in Boston, which has really been the epicenter of this whole priest scandal -- where priests who have been accused of sexual abuse have been moved from parish to parish. We saw that in the case of defrocked priest John Geoghan; he is now serving a sentence for molesting a young boy. We also saw that in the case of retired priest Paul Shanley. Paul Shanley is right now facing three counts of child rape -- the person you see there Father Paul Shanley.

Now, what they have outlined in this particular draft here is that whenever a priest is being transferred from -- to a particular parish, that priest's record will be reviewed before the transfer is allowed.

Now, there is one thing, though, that none of us could really find in this working charter, and that is, what happens, Carol, if a bishop or an archbishop decides, I'm not going to follow these particular guidelines? What happens then? Well, there's nothing listed in here that clearly outlines what the punishment will be. And so when Archbishop Harry Flynn was asked about that, he said that was not his job, that was not the job, to come up with that type of guidelines. This particular round, it was just to come up with what exactly should members of the clergy do when they are faced with allegations of abuse.

Again, he says, this is a working document, there is wiggle room, there is room for change. It will be discussed next week when the U.S. Conference of Bishops meets, in Dallas -- Carol.

LIN: At least a foundation.

Thank you very much, Jason Carroll, live in Washington.

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