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CNN Live At Daybreak
Law Considers Filing Bankruptcy on Behalf of Archdiocese in Wake of Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
Aired December 02, 2002 - 05:08 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: A Catholic archdiocese facing hundreds of alleged sexual abuse lawsuits is considering an unprecedented move.
CNN Boston bureau chief Bill Delaney has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like most every Sunday in Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law celebrated mass.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When he comes out, folks, say hello to the modern day Judas of Syria.
DELANEY: Outside Holy Cross Cathedral, protesters, outraged now at reports in the "Boston Globe" quoting senior church officials that the archdiocese may eventually declare itself bankrupt.
PENNY KIRK, PROTESTER: I think it's a cowardly act and that they ought to face the music, do the right thing.
DELANEY: Presently in mediation with some 40 lawyers for some 450 alleged sexual abuse victims, the archdiocese publicly downplayed bankruptcy.
DONNA MORRISSEY, ARCHDIOCESE SPOKESWOMAN: The reports that were in the media today are speculative and premature, to say the least.
DELANEY: Bankruptcy, though, would end mediation and halt consideration of cases for at least several months.
(on camera): Declaring bankruptcy would also prevent filing of new suits, further pre-trial depositions by Cardinal Law and release of sensitive church files and documents. But such a radical and unprecedented step by an American archdiocese would also lay bare church finances as never before.
(voice-over): Like the value of this retirement home for priests on Cape Cod. A "Boston Globe" study concluded properties owned by the Boston Archdiocese are worth, in all, at least $1.3 billion. Abuse case settlements are widely estimated to eventually cost about $100 million. What concerns victims of abuse, though, says Bill Gately, not so much money as that a bankruptcy claim could avoid years, even decades, of publicizing individual victim's cases. BILL GATELY, ALLEGED VICTIMS' ADVOCATE: It runs the risk of negative the emotional suffering that people have gone through for 30 years. It's like here's your check, get out of here. And it isn't, again, it's not about that.
DELANEY: Victims' lawsuit believe bankruptcy would mean delays, not silenced victims.
ROBERT SHERMAN, ALLEGED VICTIMS' ATTORNEY: We believe our victims would get the same amount of attention. Their cases will be heard and exactly what they went through with the priests that abused them will come to light.
DELANEY: Any bankruptcy filing isn't expected until January at the earliest.
Bill Delaney, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Wake of Sexual Abuse Lawsuits>
Aired December 2, 2002 - 05:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A Catholic archdiocese facing hundreds of alleged sexual abuse lawsuits is considering an unprecedented move.
CNN Boston bureau chief Bill Delaney has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like most every Sunday in Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law celebrated mass.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When he comes out, folks, say hello to the modern day Judas of Syria.
DELANEY: Outside Holy Cross Cathedral, protesters, outraged now at reports in the "Boston Globe" quoting senior church officials that the archdiocese may eventually declare itself bankrupt.
PENNY KIRK, PROTESTER: I think it's a cowardly act and that they ought to face the music, do the right thing.
DELANEY: Presently in mediation with some 40 lawyers for some 450 alleged sexual abuse victims, the archdiocese publicly downplayed bankruptcy.
DONNA MORRISSEY, ARCHDIOCESE SPOKESWOMAN: The reports that were in the media today are speculative and premature, to say the least.
DELANEY: Bankruptcy, though, would end mediation and halt consideration of cases for at least several months.
(on camera): Declaring bankruptcy would also prevent filing of new suits, further pre-trial depositions by Cardinal Law and release of sensitive church files and documents. But such a radical and unprecedented step by an American archdiocese would also lay bare church finances as never before.
(voice-over): Like the value of this retirement home for priests on Cape Cod. A "Boston Globe" study concluded properties owned by the Boston Archdiocese are worth, in all, at least $1.3 billion. Abuse case settlements are widely estimated to eventually cost about $100 million. What concerns victims of abuse, though, says Bill Gately, not so much money as that a bankruptcy claim could avoid years, even decades, of publicizing individual victim's cases. BILL GATELY, ALLEGED VICTIMS' ADVOCATE: It runs the risk of negative the emotional suffering that people have gone through for 30 years. It's like here's your check, get out of here. And it isn't, again, it's not about that.
DELANEY: Victims' lawsuit believe bankruptcy would mean delays, not silenced victims.
ROBERT SHERMAN, ALLEGED VICTIMS' ATTORNEY: We believe our victims would get the same amount of attention. Their cases will be heard and exactly what they went through with the priests that abused them will come to light.
DELANEY: Any bankruptcy filing isn't expected until January at the earliest.
Bill Delaney, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Wake of Sexual Abuse Lawsuits>
