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Catholic Church In Australia Will Not Violate Seal Of Confession On Child Abuse; Australian Charged Of Espionage In Cambodia; Gerard Depardieu Accused Of Rape; Justice Department Criticized By Trump; First Day Of Memorial For John Mccain; Uganda's Bobi Wine Rearrested; U.N. Tells China Stop Detention Of Uyghurs; Myanmar's LGBT Community; North Korea Accuses U.S. Of Being Hostile; U.S Stops Funding U.N. Palestinian Refugees; Sex Abuse Crisis; Queen Of Soul. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired August 31, 2018 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[08:00:00] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream."

The pope must act now. Australian victims call on the leader of the Catholic Church to ensure priest abuse revealed at confession is reported.

As John McCain is fondly remembered, a little known story how he helped restore Ernest Hemingway's home in Cuba has been revealed.

And Aretha Franklin tributes continue with dozens of pink Cadillac as a nod to her hit song "Freeway of Love."

The Catholic Church in Australia hits a major stumbling block as it tries to regain the public's trust in a wake of a massive sexual abuse scandal.

The church has rejected a recommendation that came out of a government inquiry that would require priests to report abuse when it's revealed in

confession.

Church leaders say that they have accepted 98 percent of other recommendations and will do everything possible to ensure the safety of

children while maintaining the sanctity of the confessional seal. One man who suffered abuse by multiple priest as a child says he is angry at the

news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW COLLINS, SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIM: I have had decades and decades to actually change this and have done nothing. And for them to come out now

and say that essentially that the two are not incompatible is absolute rubbish. Everyone else in Australia has to comply with the law and I don't

see why they should be exempt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: That was Andrew Collins. You're going to hear more of what he has to say. His full interview will be airing a little bit later on the

show. Right now, we're going to go straight to Rome where CNN's senior Vatican analyst and editor of Crux John Allen is standing by. John, thank

you for joining us. Why is the Australian Catholic Church rejecting this call for priests to report abuse when it's revealed during confession? Why?

JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Hi, Kristie Lu. Well listen, this is not just the position of the Australian Catholic Church. This would be

the position of the global Catholic Church, very much including the Vatican although the Vatican has not yet commented in a public way on the

Australian response. They'll certainly back it up.

Look, I mean, the Catholic Church takes the position that its personnel in virtually every circumstance are required to report crimes whether they are

child abuse or anything else to the proper authorities. The one exception of that would be the seal of the confessional because it is one of the

seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It's one of the holiest rites of the church.

The belief is that in that space of the believer is unburdening him or herself through the priest before God. And at that moment with God to

encounter God's mercy is by definition intimate and it's between the believer and God. This is something that over the centuries priests have

actually died rather than break the seal of the confessional.

And to this day, if a priest does that he is subject to automatic excommunication. So, the great likelihood is that this is a position by the

Australian bishops that church leadership elsewhere is going to support.

LU STOUT: That's the rationale from the church but that move by the church in Australia has been widely criticized, criticized by survivors of abuse

like from Andrew Collins who we heard just moments ago. What are the implications here for Pope Francis especially now as the Vatican is

struggling to rebuild trust around the world?

ALLEN: Well, I don't know that the seal of the confessional issue poses especially serious implications for Francis. I mean, to this point, and we

have been living with the clerical sexual abuse crisis for more than two decades. I'm not aware of any case in which a claim was made that a

predator priest had confessed his crimes to another priest and that that priest had not reported it and that allowed the abuse to continue.

What I am much more familiar with are suggestions that accusations against predator priests had reached bishops from victims, from other church

personnel, from people in parishes saying there's something wrong with this guy and that the bishops turned a blind eye and failed to act. And there's

no sealed with confessional for that. That's a crime under church law and under civil law and punishment ought to be implied.

The problem is, up to this point, the Catholic Church has not develop a meaningful system of accountability for that. So, if Pope Francis and his

team want to recover from the crisis that they are presently facing certainly working on such a system of accountability --

[08:05:05] Accountability with teeth not just for the crime but for the cover-up I think most observers would say that would be a very positive

step.

LU STOUT: All right, John Allen, we appreciate your insight, our Vatican analyst joining us live from Rome. Thank you so much. And just a reminder

for our audience, again, you'll be hearing a full interview with an Australian survivor of child sexual abuse and advocate for other fellow

survivors. Andrew Collins will be airing that a little bit later in the program.

Now, an Australian filmmaker is facing some six years in prison in Cambodia after being found guilty of espionage. James Ricketson was arrested last

year after he flew a drone over a rally held by a group opposed to the Cambodian government. He flew a drone.

Ricketson's lawyer says prosecutors did not prove their case or even name the country Ricketson is accused of spying for and they will seek a royal

pardon. That pardon could take up to a month to decide.

OK, let's go to France right now where the well-known actor, Gerard Depardieu, is facing allegations of rape and sexual assault. Prosecutors

say a 22-year-old woman filed the complaint on Monday. Depardieu's lawyer told CNN that his client was, "shocked by the accusation" and that although

he knows the woman in question, he denies any criminal act.

You may know Depardieu from films like "Jean de Florette" and more recently "Life of Pi." And now for more, let's go live to CNN's Jim Bittermann who

is following the story for us from Paris. And Jim, walk us through these accusations and also how Depardieu and his lawyer are responding.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Kristie, these accusations come from a 22-year-old would-be actress who apparently

was seeking advice from Depardieu and she says the events took place twice or two different cases of sexual aggression and rape earlier this month and

they took place in Depardieu's home.

Now, as you say, Depardieu has denied those charges through his lawyer and, in fact, they are not even charging at this point. One of the things that

is somewhat unusual is that the prosecutor's office has confirmed all of this, but, in fact, they have yet -- not yet formally notified Depardieu

that he's under official investigation.

And until that happens, there really is just a he said/she said kind of a situation set up here where she's making accusations that haven't been

confirmed. For the moment though, the lawyer for Depardieu are in fact denying all charges.

The lawyer says in fact this is not who Depardieu is. It's highly impossible to believe that he would have perpetrated something like this.

So, in fact, they're denying it at this stage of the game. Kristie?

LU STOUT: And Jim, you know, in the United States this type of case has resulted in big-named stars and personalities losing a TV series or film

project. There in France, how likely is it that Gerard Depardieu's career could take a hit as a result of these accusations?

BITTERMANN: Well, at this point his career is pretty well established. He's nearly 70 years old. He's been in 170 films over the last 50 years.

So, it's hard to imagine that his career, the past of his career can be denied to him, but, in fact, it's possible that some producer might shy

away from casting him or something like that.

But he already, just turned out a film recently that's about to come out in the cinemas. He's also into the second season, I think it's already been

released, the second season of "Marseille," which he stars in. So, he's quite a productive and prolific kind of guy and as a consequence, well-

known. They call him the monster of French cinema because he's such a large presence in many different ways in French cinema. Kristie?

LU STOUT: Indeed. Jim Bittermann reporting live from Paris. Thank you.

U.S. President Donald Trump is once again going after the Justice Department and the FBI. And this time he's issuing a threat of sorts. Now,

the president lashed out at his familiar targets at a campaign rally in Indiana on Thursday night. He also went after the media and Hillary

Clinton, but some of his most notable criticism was saved for the Justice Department suggesting its leadership is biased.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But our Justice Department and our FBI have to start doing their job and doing it right and doing it

now because people are angry. People are angry. What's happening is a disgrace.

And at some point, I wanted to stay out, but at some point if it doesn't straighten out properly, I want them to do their job, I will get involved

and I will get in there if I have to. Disgraceful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:10:10] LU STOUT: Our White House correspondent Boris Sanchez joins me from Washington. And Boris, how do you interpret the Trump -- the

president's words just then? And also, what's his latest thinking about his attorney general, Jeff Sessions?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kristie. Yes, President Trump has been frustrated with not only the Department of Justice

but with his attorney general Jeff Sessions for some time. Just yesterday during an interview with "Bloomberg News," the president said that Jeff

Sessions job were safe at least until after the midterm elections.

Now, for more than a year we've been speculating whether President Trump would fire the attorney general that he appointed because he has publicly

attacked him repeatedly calling him weak and beleaguered. Of course, the president during that interview actually said, and I quote, "I do question

what Jeff Sessions is doing."

The original sin, as you might call it, by Jeff Sessions was recusing himself from the Russia investigation. President Trump extremely frustrated

by that investigation. One which he believes is illegitimate and further part of what you heard there during that rally in Indiana yesterday is this

idea that Jeff Sessions is not doing enough to persecute and prosecute some of the president's political enemies.

Shortly after that segment of his speech, the president led his supporters in a "lock her up" chant referring to Hillary Clinton, his opponent in the

2016 general election, Kristie.

LU STOUT: A number of targets for President Trump. He's firing on all cylinders. Boris Sanchez, we'll leave it at that. Thank you.

Now, Washington, D.C. wakes today to the first of three days of ceremonies there honoring the life and service of late U.S. Senator John McCain. The

two-time Republican presidential candidate and war hero will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol in the coming hours.

His casket arrived at the Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Thursday. Now, earlier in the day, former Vice President Joe Biden, a rival Democrat

and McCain's longtime friend gave an emotional eulogy at the service in which McCain's home state of Arizona took leave of him for the last time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now John is going to take his rightful place in a long line of extraordinary leaders in this

nation's history, who in their time and in their way stood for freedom and stood for liberty, and have made the American story the most improbable and

the most hopeful and the most enduring story on earth.

I know John said he hoped he'd played a small part in that story. John, you did much more than that, my friend. To paraphrase Shakespeare -- we shall

not see his like again.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Beautiful and heartfelt tribute there as Washington prepares to pay its respects to McCain and a service, let's take a look at one of the

war hero's lesser known legacies. He was a huge fan of the author Ernest Hemingway and he was extremely critical of Cuba's communist regime. Patrick

Oppmann tells us about how McCain worked hard to save the home of a writer he loved even if it meant working with a government he hated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From his time as a naval aviator to his three decades in the U.S. Senate, John McCain was a cold

warrior, a fierce critic of communism, whether in the former Soviet Union, China, Vietnam or Cuba.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This is a cruel, oppressive, repressive government that has condemned their people to poverty. You know that if --

why didn't Castro empty out his political prisoners? Why doesn't he allow free election?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPMANN (voice-over): Part of McCain's hatred of communism came no doubt from the mistreatment he suffered as a POW after being shot down during the

Vietnam War. To keep sane while in solitary confinement, McCain recited whole passages from his favorite book, Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the

Bell Tolls." A classic novel of heroism despite the odds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you want to really know him, his favorite book is "For Whom the Bell Tolls." A protagonist in that goes to fight in a war

that's a hopeless cause and that he gives his life for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPMANN (voice-over): Flash forward decades and thousands of miles away in communist-run Cuba, Hemingway's home named the "Finca Vigia" where he lived

for over 20 years was falling down. Hemingway left shortly after Fidel Castro took power, just as the U.S. was about to impose a trade embargo on

the island. In his hurry, he abandoned first editions, manuscripts in a house full of the writer's most prized possessions, a treasure-trove that

was in danger of being lost forever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:15:04] MARY-JO ADAMS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE FINCA VIGIA FOUNDATION: There was mold and mildew. The papers here are original. They are

priceless, and they are in danger of demise from the climate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPMANN (voice-over): In the 2000s, a group of Americans and Cubans joined forces to try and save Hemingway's house but found the State Department

under then President George W. Bush wasn't issuing travel licenses the restorationists needed to work on an island still under a U.S. trade

embargo.

Suddenly Americans had heard that John McCain was a devoted fan of Ernest Hemingway and they hoped the senator could aid them in their quest to

restore Hemingway's Havana home even though it meant that they would have to team up with the Cuban government who John McCain had no love for. At a

meeting with McCain, the restoration sts found while his hatred of communism was still strong so was his admiration for Hemingway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTY PETERSON, FORMER BOARD MEMBER, THE FINCA VIGIA FOUNDATION: He detested the Cuban government, but he loved that project and didn't think

that politics should get in the way of what we were trying to give up, and he agreed to call then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and ask her to

basically call off her dogs and issue a license.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPMANN (voice-over): The licenses came, allowing American experts to work with their Cuban counterparts and save Hemingway's home and papers. Today

at Hemingway's house, the project McCain helped continues so that future generations can themselves be inspired by the famed writer's tales of

courage and sacrifice. Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, John McCain will be honored in Washington with three days of services. Today, McCain's body will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol and

the public will be allowed to pay their respects. On Saturday, there will be a service at the National Cathedral. Former president's George W. Bush

and Barack Obama are scheduled to speak. And on Sunday, McCain will be laid to rest in a private ceremony held at the U.S. Naval Academy.

You're watching "News Stream." And still to come, a last-minute airport arrest puts the Ugandan pop star politician Bobi Wine back in custody.

We'll bring you more of the story.

Plus, an annual spirit festival in Myanmar attracts thousands of people for days of music and dance, but beyond the surface lied a human rights issue.

Ahead on "News Stream."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: It is Friday night here in Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream." In Uganda, pop star turned opposition politician Bobi Wine

is back in custody. His legal team says he was violently arrested at the airport as he tried to board a plane to fly to the U.S. for medical

treatment. The singer was out on bail after having been charged with treason last week.

[08:20:03] Let's get the latest now from CNN's Farai Sevenzo. He joins us live from Nairobi, Kenya. Farai, exactly what happened to Bobi Wine when he

tried to leave the country?

FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, you're absolutely right. I mean, this is a man whose importance to Uganda and indeed the whole of East

Africa has become absolutely monumental. Last night, as he tried to leave the country having been allowed to get his passport back, having been

allowed to go for treatment in the United States, before he even reached the departure terminal, police bundled him out of the car, put him in an

army ambulance and took him to a local hospital.

The same thing happened to one of the other accused. Remember, there are 34 people altogether facing treason charges in Uganda. And one of those is

called Francis Zake. Now, their condition according to their lawyers and everybody who has spoken to them is very poorly indeed. Mr. Bobi Wine can

hardly walk and he can hardly speak, these lawyers tell CNN.

And of course, Mr. France Zake was supposed to be flying to India for treatment and they were also stopped from doing that. Now, this case has

enormous significance for the East Africa and indeed all of Africa. It ties in the whole idea of social media, what's been happening in Africa, how

people swapped stories of repression and oppression and human rights and indeed the #freebobiwine has been trending throughout East Africa.

I'm talking Burundi. I'm talking Tanzania. I'm talking Kenya. And of course, at the moment, we don't know what state Mr. Wine is in. But just to

give you a bit of background, Kristie, this is a very popular singer who last year in 2017 was catapulted into lawmakers' fame by becoming a member

of parliament and since then he's been using that position to say Mr. Museveni has been running the country for too long -- 33 years when Mr.

Wine was only 3-years-old.

LU STOUT: Yes. Farai, we appreciate the update. A lot of interest and concern about the fate of Bobi Wine from all around the world. Farai

Sevenzo, reporting live for us from Nairobi, thank you.

Now, China has responded to that damning U.N. report. The report about the treatment of a minority group called the Uyghurs in its far west region.

Now today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is accusing the U.N. of relying on quote, "unsubstantiated and irresponsible information."

In the report, the U.N. says they are alarmed by reports of mass detention of Uyghurs for expressing their ethnic Muslim culture in non-threatening

ways like a daily greeting. Some unconfirmed estimates from Uyghur groups peg the number at over 1 million people.

Now, a yearly spirit festival is attracting thousands of people to a sleepy village in central Myanmar. This will involve days of dancing, music and

festivities, but underneath the happy celebrations is a human rights issue. Will Ripley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Men in makeup, idolized by crowds, showered with cash. This could easily be mistaken for a gay pride

event celebrating diversity and acceptance, but here homosexuality is illegal. This is Myanmar's spirit festival. These are spirit wives known as

Nat Kadaws.

Nat Kadaw's are said to have supernatural abilities and are revered as celebrities. Even in deeply conservative Myanmar, for being LGBT can mean a

life of hardship. The audience believes these people in jewelry and cultural costumes can be possessed by spirits, spirits that deliver

valuable advice for the right price, the Nat Kadaws acting as mediums.

For U Win Hlaing it's a lucrative career and rare chance of acceptance in a restrictive society.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

U WIN HLAING, SPIRIT MEDIUM (through translation): I want to help people to solve their problems. People might have different difficulties, such as

physiological needs, like food, clothes and shelter, their business or relationships. I talk with the supernatural beings on how to solve this

problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY (voice-over): When it comes to gender, Nat Kadaw's identify themselves as men or women, because stigma prevents from identifying as

transgender.' In Myanmar, members of the LGBT community face discrimination making it hard to find jobs. They also have higher arrest rates and suffer

abuse.

Chit Ya Aung, who identifies as a woman says she was beaten as a boy for being too girly. Her name means let's love.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIT YA AUNG, NAT FESTIVAL DANCER (through translation): I met my husband at the Nat festival. I am a dancer. He is a drummer. After meeting several

times and making eye contact, it felt like there was something special.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY (voice-over): Gay marriage is not recognized in Myanmar but if the community accepts a couple's relationship it can be considered socially,

though not legally, legitimate. A growing number of LGBT advocates hope large crowds like this are a sign that things are changing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HLA MYAT HTUN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, COLORS RAINBOW : (Inaudible) when they were young, they were discriminated, they were looked down because of their

identity.

[08:25:03] They become Nat Kadaw, and they -- were now being worshipped by believers who believe in that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLE (voice-over): For many in Myanmar's LGBT community living like this is the only way to be accepted for who they are, trading a life in the

shadows for a life in the spotlight. Will Ripley, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: What a fascinating look there. Now, you're watching "News Stream." We have a lot more coming up here on the program including a

survivor of clergy abuse. He is talking to us and saying that he is extremely disappointed in the news that the Australian Catholic Church

won't require priests to report child abuse, even if they learn about it in confession. The full interview, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Hi there. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines.

North Korea is accusing the U.S. of carrying out grave and hostile actions behind the curtain of dialogue in an opinion piece on a state propaganda

site. Now, the comment follows a South Korean report of covert U.S. training exercises in the region.

The U.S. will no longer fund a U.N. agency that supports Palestinian refugees. That's according to a senior Trump administration official. The

announcement will likely come in the next few weeks. The agency provides food, health care and education to more than five million refugees in the

West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem as well as neighboring countries.

In Australia, the Catholic Church is rejecting a recommendation from the country's Child Abuse Royal Commission. It would require priests to report

abuse when they learn about it in the confessional, breaking the seal of confession. The church says it has accepted 98 percent of other

recommendations and will do everything it can to ensure the safety of the children as well as the sanctity of the seal.

Andrew Collins joins me now. He survived sexual abuse at the hands of numerous priests as a boy and as a teenager and he's also an advocate for

other survivors. Sir, thank you so much for joining us. Have you had a chance to process the news this day, you know, the Catholic Church there in

Australia is now saying it won't report sexual abuse disclosed during confession. So Andrew, as a survivor and as an advocate what do you make of

that?

[08:29:52] COLLINS: I think it's very disappointing. During the recent royal commission we heard evidence that priests had sexually abused

children, had gone to confession, and had been absolved from those sins and had then gone on to rape and abuse more children over and over again.

We also heard that children had gone to confession and in the confessional had said that they had been sexually abused and nothing was done.

And finally, we also heard that some children were abused inside the confessional. So I think it's extremely disappointing that the Catholic

church has taken a stance that they will not report child sexual abuse, that is revealed inside the confessional when we know that the confessional

has been a key part of covering up these crimes in Australia.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: Andrew, in its response, the Catholic church in Australia said this, "We are committed to the

safeguarding of children and vulnerable people while maintaining the seal." Does that make you bristle when you hear that?

COLLINS: Makes me angry, because we know that they have had decades and decades to actually change this and have done nothing. And for them to come

out now and say that essentially, that the two are not incompatible is absolute rubbish.

Everyone else in Australia has to comply with the law and I don't see why they should be exempt. No other religion is exempt from complying with the

law, and the Catholic should not be exempt either.

LU STOUT: Yeah. Of course, this week and beyond this week, we've heard that, you know, Pope Francis has been under fire. He has been criticized

for not doing enough. He has finally been moved to comment on the issue of child sex abuse this week. But at the moment, it's empathy, it's words.

What kind of action do you want to see from the church? What kind of action do you want to see from the pontiff?

COLLINS: We want to see some very clear, decisive action. Firstly, they need to change canon law so that the pontifical secret is removed. The

pontifical secret is basically saying that the bishops must protect the reputation of the church and report all abuse to the Vatican rather than to

local authorities. That's the biggest change that needs to happen.

I think they also need to remove all of the pedophiles from the Catholic church. It seems incredible that people can be convicted for abusing

children and still remain part of the Catholic church and still remain clergy.

It's amazing to see that we have priests that have served time and yet they still have all their needs, basic needs, food, accommodation and all of

those things, taken care of, and we have survivors out there that are living in poverty. Something is wrong there. This needs to be fixed.

LU STOUT: And it's happening there in Australia. It's a crisis that stretches from your home to Ireland to the United States to Latin America,

and the abuse has happened for decades. Do you feel just a sense of hope that this -- this moment is different? You know, this is a critical moment

and test for the church and especially for this pope, Pope Francis, and that they could act.

COLLINS: There is nothing stopping him from acting immediately. He is a sovereign ruler. And as the pope, he can literally make these decisions and

those changes can be made instantly. For some reason, though, there seems to be -- something stopping them from actually making them. The words we

hear are lovely, but that's it. We're just not seeing any action.

LU STOUT: And when you talk to other survivors of abuse, is there a sense of consensus? You are all on the same page, not just in the level of anger,

but the concrete steps of what needs to happen next for justice.

COLLINS: Absolutely. It just seems that we have gone through in Australia years of a royal commission of hearing all the evidence of all of these

crimes, but we don't see any real change in the Catholic church. It just seems to be business as usual. And there's a disappointment that they just

don't seem to be acting the way that they preach.

You know, they hold themselves up as being the moral compass for our society, yet they're not acting that way. They're acting more like a

business, just trying to protect their own reputation. They need to make real change. All we've heard are words and unfortunately words of cheap

(ph).

LU STOUT: Real change is needed to address the tragedy for Australia and for innocent victims all over the world. Andrew Collins, thank you so much,

sir, for joining us today and for sharing your thoughts with us.

COLLINS: You're welcome.

LU STOUT: I deeply admire his eloquence and his strength. I spoke a bit earlier with Judy Courtin. Now, she is a lawyer representing victims of

institutional abuse and their families as well, including 93-year-old Eileen Piper, whose daughter committed suicide after she was allegedly

raped by a priest.

[08:35:01] I asked her what her reaction is to this news from the Australian Catholic church.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY COURTIN, LAWYER REPRESENTING VICTIMS OF INSTITUTIONAL ABUSE: This whole issue is really -- it should be a no-brainer. It should be non-

negotiable.

LU STOUT (on camera): Yeah.

COURTIN: For priests in the Catholic church to be above our civil laws is highly problematic. The only consideration that should be considered is the

protection and the safety of children and vulnerable adults. There are many senior members of the hierarchy at the Catholic church and they say that

they would rather go to jail than -- than break the seal of the confessional.

You know, this makes me really cross, and I think there's a lot of disingenuousness because, you know, why -- in a sense they are offering

themselves up to be martyrs, you know, if I'm (INAUDIBLE) go to jail.

What about, you know, all of the members of the hierarchy over the last many decades who have committed the serious crime of concealment and cover-

up of child sex crimes that's enabling the offenders to continue offending? How many of those people are, in fact, putting up their hand and say, I

will go to jail?

Really, it is -- it does not make any sense at all. And members of all other professions in this country, they do, they are mandated to report

child sex crimes or suspicions of child sex crimes. And the members of the Catholic Church should not be above our laws and they need to be held

accountable to our laws.

LU STOUT (on camera): Could the priests be prosecuted? Could they be legally compelled to report abuse?

COURTIN: Legislation has protected priests from breaking the seal of confessionals and this is a very important recommendation for commission

(ph) for that change. And it is very, very important too for victims and their families because it's a form of accountability.

It stops the silence that has been -- where victims and their families have been forced to be silent for so many decades. And, you know, it's time for

change. The Catholic church says, too, of course, that they describe the confessional as a spiritual encounter with god through the priest.

Now, I don't believe this, but let's assume for a moment that that was true. My question is, what is god going to say? You know? God will be only

interested in protecting children, not protecting offenders.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: That was Lawyer Judy Courtin there. You're watching "News Stream." Still to come, a tribute fit for a queen. More than 100 pink

Cadillac owners will line up for Aretha Franklin today. We got a live report from Detroit, after the break.

[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, soon family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin. Among those

scheduled to speak or perform at today's service, former President Bill Clinton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Stevie Wonder.

Now, CNN's Ryan Young is there in Detroit for us now. Ryan, we got to talk about the pink Cadillacs, because at this moment, they are lining the

streets of Detroit. What are you seeing?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, they passed probably about 10 minutes ago. Look, a long stream of more than a hundred of them went

right past us. The crowd here went crazy when they saw those pink Cadillacs.

You talked about Reverend Jackson. We just saw him actually drive by, so he is just arriving here to the church. Part of the story, a large number of

people who showed up for this -- I call it funeral, but it's going to be a church service because with all the pastors here, with all the renowned

speakers here, people want to hear that word.

This is going to be a homegoing service like no other. You know that Aretha Franklin loved gospel music. She was brought up in the church. Her father

was a reverent. So, you're going to hear some spiritual guidance that probably a lot of folks haven't heard in quite some time.

And look, all these people want to get the food in their soul in terms of spiritual guidance. And these people have been lining up since yesterday

because it was said that they would get a chance to go in. So some thousand people were supposed to get a chance to go see the service.

No one knew that. Some people started lining up yesterday around 5 o'clock. The big kind of conversation right now and why people in this line are a

little upset is there has been no word about how they're going to be let in. So, they're getting a little antsy, but what we know is everyone who's

lined up here and goes down more than a block and a half, will get in to the service.

They want to be there for the "Queen of Soul." And I'm sure you'll understand this, Aretha never left Detroit. Even though the city has seen

some tough times, she stuck with the city. These people love her. A lot of folks showed up with walkers and canes and wheelchairs, just want to get

inside and see a piece of this.

The other conversation is, every single day, there has been a different outfit on the "Queen of Soul." Yesterday, she was wearing gold. People

wondering what she'll have on today. It was all part of the pageantry, but people love her so much they just want to get a glimpse of her one last

time.

LU STOUT: Absolutely. She was the "Queen of Soul." She was also a cultural touchstone. No wonder so many lining up to see her today.

YOUNG: Absolutely.

LU STOUT: Ryan, thank you so much for your reporting. Take care. CNN, we will be bringing you live coverage of Aretha Franklin's funeral. We are

saying farewell to the legend.

It's happening this Friday beginning at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern time, 3:00 p.m. in London. It is less than just -- like what? Two hours away. It's

10:00 p.m. in Hong Kong. Do tune in for that.

And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout. Don't go anywhere, though. "World Sport" in the meantime with Alex Thomas is next.

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