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CNN Live Today

Shanley To Be Arraigned Today

Aired July 10, 2002 - 11:33   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In the other news today from Washington -- actually from Boston, Paul Shanley will be arraigned. The man at the center of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal will be in court this afternoon.

Our Boston bureau chief Bill Delaney joins us from Cambridge, Massachusetts -- Bill, good morning.

BILL DELANEY, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Well, yes, he will be in court in Middlesex Superior Court right behind me here; 71-year-old former priest, Paul Shanley, will be arraigned on the charges. A grand jury has already indicted him for 10 counts of child rape, 6 counts of indecent assault and battery on a minor under 14.

Now, Shanley has already been in jail since May. Among the complainants in this criminal complaint, Greg Ford and Paul Busa say Shanley repeatedly raped them from the age of 6 in the 1980s at St. John the Evangelist Church in Newton.

Now, in a previous court appearance, Paul Shanley pled not guilty to these charges. He is expected to plead that way again today. All of this, of course, three weeks since the Dallas Bishop's Conference, at which American Catholic bishops came up with a zero-tolerance policy toward priests and sexual abuse.

Now, some priests are fighting that. Among the mountain of litigation, just one aspect of it here at Middlesex Superior Court, the mountain of litigation and court cases to come for many years here and around the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELANEY (voice-over): With particularly American fanfare in a storm of media, American Catholic bishops announced June 14, new rules toward priests who sexually abuse children: zero tolerance. But already, as it often goes with rules, a call for exceptions. Of eight priests removed since the new policy in the Archdiocese of Chicago, five won't go.

Reverend John Calicott admitted a sexual incident in 1976 with two teenage boys, not enough, he believes, to justify tearing a long- changed man from his city ministry. He is appealing to the Vatican.

REV. JOHN CALICOTT, CHICAGO DIOCESE: I am very concerned that as a church, the policy does not seem to revolve around forgiveness and redemption, but rather around punishment and vengeance, not even around protecting kids as far as can I see. I have enough documentation to sink the Titanic, so that I am not a risk to children.

DELANEY: Before the Dallas conference this year, more than 200 priests had been removed from ministry, and some 25, then, after it. Only the five in Chicago are known to be appealing, but even some strong supporters of the Dallas policy are interested now in some balance.

THOMAS GROOME, BOSTON COLLEGE: I think Rome is going to insist upon a far more precise definition of sexual abuse. The present definition of the bishop statement seems to have so much latitude to it that it could be downright dangerous; that a person could be accused of pedophilia or phebophilia or sexual abuse just by a verbal exchange of a risque joke. We are also going to try to reach a middle ground on issues, especially of old crimes of 35 years ago.

DELANEY: Loopholes fear some, especially victims and families of victims...

RODNEY FORD, ALLEGED VICTIM'S FATHER: You can come out with the greatest set of policies and procedures in the world, but if these are the men that have to institute it, I don't put a lot of faith into that.

DELANEY: ... in these still trying times for all the Catholic faithful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DELANEY: We expect to learn this afternoon when Paul Shanley will actually go to trial, probably in the next few months -- back to you.

KAGAN: Bill Delaney in Boston, thank you very much.

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