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CNN Live Today

Bishops Conference Hears From Sex Abuse Victims

Aired June 13, 2002 - 13:40   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We want to take you back to Dallas now, where abuse victims are telling and have been telling of their stories of their very painful experiences carried out at the hands of people they trusted most, priests. Today, the leader of the U.S. Catholic Conference announced to his colleagues -- and we want it quote now -- "it is we who need to confess."

CNN's Leon Harris is following the most closely watched bishop's meeting in many years. He joins us with the latest from Dallas. Hi there, Leon.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Fredricka. As you said, the bishops who are assembled here at this conference have been getting quite an earful, both from their leadership and, for the last hour or so, getting it from victims of sexual abuse events in the past. And it's been an education for the bishops downstairs, as well as for those of us listening in. For those who may not have really a fully flushed out idea of the kinds and varieties of some of the incredibly tragic and painful experiences some of these victims have gone through, we have gotten something of an insight in that today.

Jason Carroll, who has been our correspondent in this story from the beginning, for months now, has been listening in, as well.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It' very painful to sit here and listen to some of the victims talk about what it has been like for them to be abused by priests. But I have to tell you, it's really the emotional words from victims like what we heard today that really might encourage bishops to adopt a tough policy, a tough national policy, in terms of dealing with allegations of sexual abuse. The first victim to speak, as you know, Leon, was Craig Martin. He talked about what it was like for him to deal with abuse, as a child, and how that effected him as an adult. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG MARTIN, SEXUALLY ABUSED AS A CHILD: A child who is abuse is put in a frightening and confusing situation. They may have never heard of anything like this happening. Nobody has told them it's right. No one has told them it's wrong. Everyone may like and respect the person who's doing these things. John remembers the motel that might, with the priest, but hardly anything else. John has no idea how he got home. It is only 35 years later that John is starting to remember what happened that horrible night. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Craig Martin there. He used the name John. That's because, at the beginning of his speech there, he said it was easier for him to talk about the abuse if he identified himself as John Doe. We also heard from Paula Gonzales Rohrbacher. She's from Juno, Alaska. She says it is all well and good for the bishops to sit there and to listen and hear from victims, to hear the victims' pain, but what she is looking for is action. She is looking for a strong outcome from this U.S. Conference of Bishops that is meeting. Listen now to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA GONZALES ROHRBACHER, SEXUALLY ABUSED AS CHILD: I urge you to adopt a policy for zero tolerance for all offenders, whether they abused one child, adolescent or many, whether past, present or future. This policy will send a message to all of us who are victims that we are your primary concern and that you desire our healing and our reconciliation with the Catholic Church. I pray that the Holy Spirit will be with you and all of us in the days ahead. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Again, victims asking for a strong policy at the outcome of this meeting. A short while I go, I did have an opportunity to speak with an attorney here in Dallas who has represented a number of victims of sexual abuse of priests. She says that this national policy, at least the draft they have come up with is, a positive first step. But she says it's not enough. She points out a very pointed reason. She says that, in the majority of cases, it's not likely that a victim is going to come forward; and therefore, she says there needs to be something in the policy that deals with prevention and detection programs. As of yet, nothing so far in the policy outlining something like that.

HARRIS: One thing we did hear, along those lines, is words this morning from the president of this conference, Bishop Wilton Gregory, who was saying, in his formal opening remarks, that he encouraged those who have not come forward to come forward, both to their bishops, as well as civil authorities. So perhaps there will be some more of that to come. But we also heard some of these victims -- you may recall remarks from Craig Martin when he repeatedly said the only reason why he and the others were here to talk today was to help those still going through this themselves and have not come forward.

CARROLL: So maybe that will be something that will help. As you know, the majority of the cases we have seen, it takes many, many years for these victims to eventually come forward. Perhaps, by hearing from some of the victims speaking today, they will find the strength to come forward after all.

HARRIS: Yes. And I tell you, that story from Ms. Rohrbacher was absolutely heart breaking, as I sat here and listened to the story. We are joined, as well, by Father Thomas Reese, who was listening with us this morning to this story of this woman who was victimized by a seminarian who was invited to live in their homes. Again, this gives us an idea of the kinds of instances that happened. We are not taking about cases only where it has been a child in a catholic school somewhere or in a church where something happens. Here we are talking about events that have happened in people's own homes that that destroy their own livers.

FATHER THOMAS REESE, "AMERICA" MAGAZINE: This is a very incredible violation. Here is a seminarian who was welcomed into this family. The mother treated him like a son. And yet he abused her trust, abused the daughter. This is just an incredible violation. And this is the kind of thing the bishops needed to hear. I think what was important here is the bishops got a very personal feeling for the pain, the agony, the damage that this kind of sexual abuse has caused.

I'm hopeful that, at the end of this, the bishops, because of their position in the church, can not only solve this problem within the church, but can begin to be part of the solution of sexual abuse as a cultural problem in the United States. I mean, there are reports, statistics about 20 percent of women being abused as children. I mean, we have a horrendous problem here. This is great that bishops are hearing about -- that the public is hearing about this, so we can get involved in prevention measures to deal with sexual abuse.

HARRIS: I have to bring up something else, another observation from our sitting here and watching these presentations by these victims of abuse. You mention the bishops' position here. They could be in a position to heal. These victims groups have been saying all along that the bishops have been in a position where they have been facilitating this behavior. They have been making it possible for these priests to continue in their priesthood. They've protected them. They've covered for them. And despite the fact that that's the position they took coming in -- and they have been quite vocal about it -- their presentations today were remarkably restrained and respectful, I thought.

REESE: Yes. I thought the presentations were very gracious, very respectful of the bishops, but they were also blunt. They told the bishops, OK, you can pass these policies, but we really still don't trust you to implement them. And they said, you know, they don't want the people to think everything is now solved after Dallas. We want to make sure these programs are implemented and that the bishops not just talk the talk, but they walk the walk and make sure that no priests that endangers a minor is ever again allowed near them or in a parish.

HARRIS: We did hear briefly yesterday from Bishop Gregory who said that what he heard, when he had a chance to talk with these victims groups, that he was positive that what they had to say would change this doctrine. It would change this charter, as they are calling it, Article 5 of this charter that details exactly what the policy will be, whether it is zero tolerance or whatever. Is it clear, Jason, yet, whether or not there is growing consensus that there is an emerging zero tolerance policy about to take place tomorrow. CARROLL: Yesterday, it was clear that, from hearing from a number of bishops that spoke on this issue, that they were affected by the words of the victims. And there has been word that they are trying to formulate a tougher policy, a tougher stance on zero tolerance, the idea of zero tolerance. But the victims are saying, look, we've heard these words before. We have heard these words. We have heard you say before we feel your pain. We are concerned about what has happened to you.

What I get a clear sense of, at this point, is the victims are simply looking for action. They've heard the words. They are grateful to hear the words. They are grateful to hear the acknowledgment from the church. What they need to see now is action. I'm still wondering how strong of a policy we're going to end up with here, when it comes to tomorrow when they take their vote. I do think it will be a stronger policy than the one proposed last week, simply base on what we have heard from a lot of these victims.

HARRIS: Also, we heard coming in yesterday, 107 pages of suggestions and changes and amendments had been offered. And as I understand it, the bishops were up all night last night, going over every single one of those pages. is that correct.

REESE: That's right. Normally, what they do in the process is put the amendments into three piles: one that the committee accepts, that they feel are not really controversial; one pile of amendments that the committee rejects, that they don't think the bishops want to do; and in the third pile is the tough ones, the ones they want to bring to the bishops and have the bishops vote on, the amendments that they think are controversial, the ones they really need to consider.

HARRIS: One final comment from you, Father Reese, I want to ask you. Coming in, the standard that had been set by this conference was that the message had to be clear and unequivocal. The bishops were saying that they wanted to communicate that we hear you, we get it, and it will never happen again. So far, do you think they are pretty much on schedule to achieving that?

REESE: I think Bishop Gregory has done a tremendous job, saying so many times that we're sorry and that we are part of the problem, and admitting that we bishops, you know, didn't report these crimes. We bishops were more concerned about covering up scandal. I think this has gone a long ways to getting across the point that the bishops get it now, and that the bishops want it make sure these things don't happen again.

HARRIS: We will be staying here throughout the process. We will be covering it with your insight, Father Thomas Reese, and with your coverage, as well, Jason Carroll. Thanks to both of you.

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