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CNN Live At Daybreak
Pope Names Bishop O'Malley to Head Boston Archdiocese
Aired July 01, 2003 - 06:12 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: We actually broke the story yesterday, Bishop Sean O'Malley is going to take over the Boston Archdiocese.
Jason Carroll has more on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the few who really know him, Bishop Sean O'Malley fits the perfect profile of a Franciscan Priest, the brown rope, the sandals, a 59-year-old unassuming man with a reputation for dealing with the crisis in the Catholic Church head on.
RAY FLYNN, FORMER BOSTON MAYOR: If people don't know a lot about him, there's a reason for it, it's because he's not one that has been a self-promoter. He's somebody who is very, very humble and very private in that respect.
CARROLL: But Bishop O'Malley has gained the respect of many in the public. He's credited for cleaning up two scandal ridden diocese, first, in Fall River, Massachusetts, where he was bishop between 1992 and 2002. While there, he enacted tough sexual abuse policies after former Priest John Porter pled guilty to molesting 28 children there years before O'Malley's tenure.
O'Malley worked closely with Porter's victims, many of whom were represented by Eric MacLeish.
ERIC MACLEISH, ATTORNEY: That this is a man who really cares, who really got it. There had never been a case involving 100 victims against a Roman Catholic priest, but he did it in a way where people felt at the end of the process that they got some measure of justice.
CARROLL: His ability to deal with the problem was tested again last year when O'Malley was named bishop of Palm Beach, Florida. The two previous bishops were asked to resign after admitting to sexual misconduct.
Like in Fall River, O'Malley quickly earned the respect of many in the community.
PHILIP LEWIS, FORMER FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: It was not a calm situation. And I think since he's been here, it has calmed down.
CARROLL: But one victims rights group says they're unsure if O'Malley's low key style would work in a place like Boston, the epicenter of the scandal.
BILL GATELY, SURVIVORS NETWORK FOR THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS: I don't want to get survivor's hopes up too high. But personally, I'm optimistic, because everything I've heard has been positive.
CARROLL (on camera): O'Malley's biography doesn't mention his track record on dealing with abuse. It does cite his efforts in reaching out to ethnic communities. The question that many now have in Boston is can a man who has a reputation of healing wounds do the same thing here?
Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And again, if I didn't make this clear, this information just in to CNN that the Pope has officially named Bishop Sean O'Malley to take over the Boston Archdiocese.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 1, 2003 - 06:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We actually broke the story yesterday, Bishop Sean O'Malley is going to take over the Boston Archdiocese.
Jason Carroll has more on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the few who really know him, Bishop Sean O'Malley fits the perfect profile of a Franciscan Priest, the brown rope, the sandals, a 59-year-old unassuming man with a reputation for dealing with the crisis in the Catholic Church head on.
RAY FLYNN, FORMER BOSTON MAYOR: If people don't know a lot about him, there's a reason for it, it's because he's not one that has been a self-promoter. He's somebody who is very, very humble and very private in that respect.
CARROLL: But Bishop O'Malley has gained the respect of many in the public. He's credited for cleaning up two scandal ridden diocese, first, in Fall River, Massachusetts, where he was bishop between 1992 and 2002. While there, he enacted tough sexual abuse policies after former Priest John Porter pled guilty to molesting 28 children there years before O'Malley's tenure.
O'Malley worked closely with Porter's victims, many of whom were represented by Eric MacLeish.
ERIC MACLEISH, ATTORNEY: That this is a man who really cares, who really got it. There had never been a case involving 100 victims against a Roman Catholic priest, but he did it in a way where people felt at the end of the process that they got some measure of justice.
CARROLL: His ability to deal with the problem was tested again last year when O'Malley was named bishop of Palm Beach, Florida. The two previous bishops were asked to resign after admitting to sexual misconduct.
Like in Fall River, O'Malley quickly earned the respect of many in the community.
PHILIP LEWIS, FORMER FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: It was not a calm situation. And I think since he's been here, it has calmed down.
CARROLL: But one victims rights group says they're unsure if O'Malley's low key style would work in a place like Boston, the epicenter of the scandal.
BILL GATELY, SURVIVORS NETWORK FOR THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS: I don't want to get survivor's hopes up too high. But personally, I'm optimistic, because everything I've heard has been positive.
CARROLL (on camera): O'Malley's biography doesn't mention his track record on dealing with abuse. It does cite his efforts in reaching out to ethnic communities. The question that many now have in Boston is can a man who has a reputation of healing wounds do the same thing here?
Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And again, if I didn't make this clear, this information just in to CNN that the Pope has officially named Bishop Sean O'Malley to take over the Boston Archdiocese.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
