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CNN Live Saturday

Interview with Marguerite Michaels

Aired June 15, 2002 - 17:24   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: So will lay Catholics be satisfied with the bishops' actions? "Time" magazine Midwest bureau chief Marguerite Michaels, a former nun, covered this week's conference in Dallas, and she joins us from there now. Thanks for joining us.

MARGUERITE MICHAELS, "TIME" MAGAZINE MIDWEST BUREAU CHIEF: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So in your view, who really devised this policy? Was it the U.S. bishops or the Vatican?

MICHAELS: Who devised the policy?

WHITFIELD: Yes, who came up with this policy, since it appeared that before yesterday's vote that the majority would overwhelmingly vote for a "zero tolerance" policy, then we heard that Catholic, or Vatican officials wouldn't approve a "zero tolerance" policy, then suddenly it was a bit of a different version.

MICHAELS: Well, I think that it's a little more complicated than that, actually.

I don't think they're in that close cahoots with Rome on this. I think the feeling was from the beginning that this is very much a presentation, a face they have to show. And therefore, they had this policy out early. They flew it as a kite all across the country. They listened to the feedback, and I'm sure Rome was part of the feedback, but the feedback was also very much American. Laity and canon lawyers and their own priests -- there were meetings all over this country before Dallas in almost every parish.

So I think this is very much an American policy. It's very much an American crisis in the American church, and I'm not convinced Rome is totally on board here.

WHITFIELD: Are you convinced that perhaps the Vatican would approve such a policy? Because it still would have to meet their approval in order for it to become law. These bishops can enact their policy, but to take it the next step further, Rome must endorse it.

MICHAELS: Well, let me introduce another thought here. Bishop Gregory has said point blank, he wants Rome to recognize this. He wants this to be a mandatory policy. But I think if you took a poll in that room of bishops, you are not going to find one of them who's not going to follow everything in that charter.

Some of them already have been. I mean, these are a group of men feeling immense pressure, moral pressure, credibility pressure, financial pressure. So I'm...

WHITFIELD: But wasn't there also a lot of pressure in which to hold the bishops accountable? And they didn't address that in this policy.

MICHAELS: They did not, and I think -- several bishops told me that they dreaded going home. Some of them are not even going to preach tomorrow in their parishes.

WHITFIELD: What are they afraid is going to happen once they go to their churches, their parishes?

MICHAELS: They had hoped -- understandably, they -- in order for a bishop to resign or for that resignation to be accepted, the pope has to be involved.

But I think the laity were hoping that, as in Ireland, and there have been a few bishops, American bishops that have resigned, Archbishop Weakland in Milwaukee, I think they were hoping peer pressure or just something more than, "Bless me, father, for I have sinned."

WHITFIELD: So do you see this as in any way solving the problem?

MICHAELS: Yes. No, this is a huge first step. I don't want to take that away from them. I will have to see. I mean, I think the laity now will start to speak about whether they're going to demand some resignations.

But it was disappointing. It was -- several of those bishops, I know, feel as if the priests were hung out to dry.

WHITFIELD: All right. Marguerite Michaels, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate it.

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