Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Church Must Confess; Bishop Says; ABC Denies "Angry American" Spot on Fourth of July Special; Elizabeth Smart Investigation Turns to Extended Family
Aired June 13, 2002 - 20:00 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.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
BISHOP WILTON GREGORY: I express a profound apology to each of you who have children or family members who have suffered sexual abuse by a priest or another representative of the church.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
ANNOUNCER: An apology open a crucial conference dealing with sexual abuse by priests in the U.S. Roman Catholic Church. We'll talk with some church leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is me when ...
(END VIDEOCLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Victims of sexual abuse share their painful memories.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
MICHAEL BLAND: He was an adult. He was a priest. I was a minor. He sexually abused me. (END VIDEOCLIP)
ANNOUNCER: We'll hear more from those who continue to suffer from sex abuse inflicted years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
DAVE SMART: If they did not investigate us, they would not be doing their job.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Family, friends and neighbors, they're all under the eye of authorities in the search for a 14-year old girl kidnapped at gunpoint from her bedroom.
Denver appears safe for now, but a massive wildfire could burn for months. We'll go to the front lines in the battle against the largest blaze ever in Colorado.
CNN's LIVE FROM Dallas, Salt Lake City, Colorado and other datelines across the globe. Here now is Carol Lin.
CAROL LIN, HOST: Catholic bishops are meeting in Dallas this week working to repair the damage done to the church by sexually abusive priests. The group's leader recognized the devastating scandal rocking the church.
CNN's Leon Harris going live from Dallas tonight. Leon, you've been hearing some apologies.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's -- and Carol, it's been absolutely remarkable, not just because we've been hearing apologies, but to see the number of apologies that we've been hearing, and it all began this morning with some words from the man you saw at the very top of the show, the president of this U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Wilton Gregory, and he started things off with some very strong words for those who were sitting in those seats in the audience listening, saying that they, the leadership of the church, needed to confess.
He also said they need to recognize that the church has suffered a profound loss of confidence from the faithful. We heard from some of those faithful, those who had been victimized by some of these priests who are getting so much attention here in Dallas, and their testimony today was absolutely heartbreaking, and there's evidence now that it's actually changing some minds. It's been a remarkable day and our Jason Carroll has this report on it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SONG)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A day of emotion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forever. Amen.
CRAIG MARTIN, ABUSE VICTIM: You see a child who's abused is put in a frightening and confusing situation. They may have never heard of anything like this happening.
DAVID CLOHESSY, ABUSE VICTIM: I can describe nights curling up in the fetal position, sobbing hysterically while my wife Laura (ph) simply held me and eventually having to get up and change the bed sheets because they were soaked with tears.
CARROLL: And a day of reconciliation.
BISHOP WILTON GREGORY, PRESIDENT, U.S. BISHOPS CONF.: In my own name and in the name of all of the bishops, I express a profound apology to each of you who have children or family members who have suffered sexual abuse by a priest.
CARROLL: The first day of the U.S. Conference of Bishops has passed, hours of discussion over. The result so far, the bishops may be leaning toward a tougher national policy on sex abuse than originally proposed.
GREGORY: There has been a document that has reached a certain level of finality now, but it won't be the document that the bishops have once all of the amendments are in.
CARROLL: The first draft called for zero tolerance in all future cases of sexual abuse involving clergy, but it left the door open for past incidents involving one-time offenders. A source says the amended proposal will mandate that past offenders are permanently removed from the priesthood. The change coming in part after the bishops heard from victims, like Paula Gonzales Rohrbacher.
PAULA GONZALES ROHRBACHER, ABUSE VICTIM: I Urge you to adopt a policy of zero tolerance for all offenders whether they have abused one child or adolescent or many, whether past, present or future. This policy will send a message to all of us who are victims that we are your primary concern.
CARROLL: Victims also say they want bishops held accountable for following whatever policy ends up being adopted. There's nothing on the current plan that outlines how a bishop should be punished, if he chooses not to follow policy nor are there any provisions addressing how to prevent future cases of abuse.
SYLVIA DEMEREST, ATTORNEY: It is a negligent policy because it does nothing to address prevention of abuse or detection of ongoing abuse before the victim comes forward.
CLOHESSY: Fundamentally it's simple. What causes sexual abuse? That's complicated. How to begin to try to treat these men or cure them? That's complicated. What to do when a youth survivor walks in your door, gentlemen, I submit is not complicated.
CARROLL: Bishop Wilton Gregory said this is a crisis about the loss of confidence and failure to address the real issue of sexual abuse. Victims say they've heard these words before. What they want to see now is action.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, the wheels are being set in motion for action to develop here in Dallas. After hearing all that input this morning and this afternoon, the bishops went behind closed doors and just a short time ago they had a short break. And Archbishop Harry Flynn, who is head of archdiocese in St. Paul in Minneapolis took time to give us a bit of an assessment of what's going on behind closed doors, even though he couldn't really tell us specifics, he did say that there is progress being made.
ARCHBISHOP HARRY FLYNN, ST. PAUL MINNEAPOLIS: The tone has been very good. We opened it this afternoon with a lot of the bishops expressing their feelings as to why we are where we are now. And I think it was a very honest sharing, and then when we finished that, we went to the charter, as which was released last week, in which the bishops received a second draft at the beginning of the meeting this afternoon.
And the - I gave a talk to the bishops on why we accepted some amendments that had come in to us, since they had the charter in the beginning, and why we rejected some. We had received 107 pages of amendments. So there was an enormous amount of work for us to do yesterday to get another document in the hands of the bishop's today.
HARRIS: Did you get through all of those pages?
FLYNN: We did yesterday, or late last night we did, and then we'll be going back in to session tonight. And the bishops, my committee, will meet after that session and review some more amendments that will yet come to us through the evening.
HARRIS: Can you tell us at this particular point how different this second version of the document is?
FLYNN: The document that the bishops have in their hand now, and again, it's only a working document, I think tightens up the one that they have received earlier. Now, again, I must - I must say that it is still a working document. That vote will not be taken until tomorrow. What we did today was simply to clarify just loads and loads of questions, and there will be that continuation of that same process this evening.
HARRIS: I understand. I understand. this is all a work in ...
FLYNN: That's right.
HARRIS: ... process and we understand. We're catching you somewhere in the middle of that. No one's going to try to pass judgment on what you've done yet or try to assess or analyze it yet, but everyone is waiting to see what happens and how you all decide and handle the issue of zero tolerance. Can you give us any indication where you - where you are in ...
FLYNN: Well that was in the ...
(CROSSTALK)
FLYNN: ... in the first document that was received last week in which I released in Washington, and as the second document is written -- as it is written, again, working -- and I can't emphasize that too much, because I wouldn't want anyone to be under the impression that it was a finished document ...
HARRIS: Certainly.
FLYNN: ... that second document tightens that up somewhat, and again, there will be many, many modifications to that this evening, and before the bishops will receive it tomorrow for a final discussion and a final vote, which will be public.
HARRIS: Do you have any sense at all of whether there's an emerging consensus on that and whether ...
FLYNN: It's ...
HARRIS: ... or not it's going to be -- it's going to be something that everyone adheres to.
FLYNN: It -- I think once -- whatever is passed, and once that has been ratified by the Vatican, it will become common law, and within the church in the United States, and I think there will be that common adherence to it. I think any bishop who would not would adhere to it would put himself out on a limb, and I think that is what happened before, and I think that's why we are where we are now. There wasn't the written and accountability to the principles, which we had annunciated in 1992.
HARRIS: That has been the other sticking point, accountability.
FLYNN: That's right.
HARRIS: Will any of your colleagues, fellow bishops, be losing their positions because of what's happening?
FLYNN: I would not be in a position to say that, but I do know that that will be - that will be a topic that most, without a doubt, will be discussed also this evening.
HARRIS: And Archbishop Flynn then left us to go back into those sessions, and the word that we're getting now is that they expect these sessions to go on even longer than expected. And as a result, some of the members of the body who are inside there, who had agreed to come out of the interview tell us now that they won't be able to have time to do that.
So we're going to be staying here for a long time tonight to find out exactly what is going on behind those closed doors. Now, as you know, the cause for zero tolerance policy for any priest who was ever abused, past present or future, have been loud. They've been quite vocal, but there is also another point of view about that. We're talking about a church here, a church based upon Christian principles and a church that believes in the concept of forgiveness, even when you're talking about priests whose have strayed.
Here now is our Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock with a look at that particular perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Forgiveness and redemption may be at the heart of Catholicism, but ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There should be zero tolerance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I believe that if you do it one time, there's a chance that you'll do it again. It should be zero tolerance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. Should be ousted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a real ...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure and I fully understand that, which ...
FLOCK: But that doesn't stop Chicago priest Larry Dowling from questioning the wisdom of zero tolerance.
REV. LARRY DOWLING, ST. DENNIS CHURCH: In terms of the removal of a priest immediately from the priesthood, I disagree with.
FLOCK: Dowling is angry and disgusted with his colleague who have strayed, but he also wonders about treatment and forgiveness. He points out ousted priests are less likely to be monitored and asked what about priest who may have had one offense decades ago and have been exemplary since?
If someone has abused a child, is there ever a circumstance where they should be put back in any ministry?
DOWLING: I know priests who are in ministry who are still priests who are doing significant ministry where they have no exposure to working with children.
FLOCK: When it comes to zero tolerance policies in other areas of society, the devil can definitely be in the details. There are sometimes unintended consequences like the 12-year old in Omaha who got expelled from school for bringing safety scissors to class, and the man in California who got a life sentence for stealing a basketball net.
CLAIRE NOONAN, CALL TO ACTION: Rape, criminal sexual assault, molestation of a minor, all of these things zero tolerance, certainly.
FLOCK: But Claire Noonan of the liberal Catholic group, "Call to Action" says misdemeanor offenses shouldn't necessarily doom a priest.
NOONAN: For instance, a battery, a priest puts his arm around the waist of a teenager. That's a misdemeanor offense. It's a battery.
FLOCK: Rather than zero tolerance, "Call to Action" says the most important thing that bishops can do is approve truly independent review boards with mostly lay people who will have the ultimate say in what happens to accused priests, boards that will have the latitude to remove the guilty and give a second chance to those who deserve one.
DOWLING: That's what that's about. That's what the cross is about. The death and resurrection, so we're going through some death right now and the resurrection will come.
FLOCK: I'm Jeff Flock, CNN in Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And it's all just part of the long, thousands years long, tradition of the Catholic Church that many people are thinking is going to have to be overcome and dealt with here in Dallas before any real healing does take place.
Carol, back to you in Atlanta.
LIN: Leon, some of the victims spoke at the conference today. I'm wondering what was your impression? Did they have any impact on the bishops there?
HARRIS: You know that's -- it was absolutely amazing Carol. These people told stories about their lives being perhaps irreparably ruined, and yet they still hadn't lost their faith. And each of the bishops and the archbishop that I spoke with early was telling me that they believe some of the colleagues had never heard these stories before, and that they have seen signs in their deliberations behind closed doors that what they heard today from those victims has actually changed their minds.
The deliberation process, we don't know how much longer that's going to on for, but we understand now that they may be at this through tomorrow as well. But tomorrow's session is going to be open, and we'll be hearing this discussion in the open tomorrow. Everything that's going on behind closed doors comes out in the open tomorrow. And we should also mention that we're keeping our eye on some expected protests.
We understand now maybe at least 150 people may be outside, but it's the thinking that we also heard was that some of the -- the way these victims were treated today to such heartfelt listening and contrition by the bishops has diffused some of the protests that we've heard here. So we'll talk with a member of one of the groups that's protesting outside and get his view on that later on this evening.
LIN: All right, so Leon, once this conference is over, is there going to be a specific recommendation that will be put into place and does it still have to go to the Vatican for approval?
HARRIS: There you go. It still has to go to the Vatican. However, there was a signal from the Vatican this morning during the session that seemed to indicate that whatever it is these bishops here do decide upon is going to be accepted.
The Pope sent a letter that was read to the body this afternoon and in it he mentioned, the words he had were, that I have confidence in what you are doing, and he went on to mention words about them needing to reach a settlement here, an agreement here, and words here that signify truth and justice and equity.
Those were the words in his letter. So the signal here -- that the Vatican is sending is that whatever that they do send is going to be approved. So it's up to the bishops here, really to make the rubber meet the road.
LIN: It sounds like the church really wants to get this resolved and resolved quickly.
Thank you very much. Leon Harris, we'll see you later in the broadcast. We're back in a moment.
ANNOUNCER: Next, could family members be behind the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart?
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The family continues to be very cooperative and very supportive.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
ANNOUNCER: We'll go live to Salt Lake City for some answers.
What's it like on the front lines of a 100,000-acre raging wildfire? Stick around. You'll find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
TOBY KEITH: You'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A ...
(END VIDEOCLIP)
ANNOUNCER: And later, sour notes? Why did ABC say no to a patriotic song with a kick?
But first do you think priests should be suspended for a single case of sexual abuse in the past? To take the quick vote, head to CNN.com, AOL keyword is CNN. Right now the vast majority of those casting ballots say yes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: If you have a tip in the case of missing 14-year old Elizabeth Smart, you can call authorities at area code 801-799-3000 or call toll-free 800-932-0190.
LIN: Salt Lake City police say they are getting inundated with tips about Bret Michael Edmunds. But so far no sign of Edmunds or 14- year-old Elizabeth Smart. Authorities are also focusing in now on family, friends and the little girl's neighbors.
Frank Buckley, live in Salt Lake City. Frank, I feel a cloud of suspicion coming on here.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Carol, today a great deal of focus on the family. And that's because the front page of the local newspaper, the "Salt Lake Tribune" suggested that police were looking hard at the theory, the possible theory, that a family member or an extended family member of Elizabeth Smart may have been involved in the abduction. They specifically cited in this article crime scene evidence and specifically a window screen that appears to have been cut that may be the point of origin or the point of access into the home. The article suggests that a law enforcement source tells the newspaper that someone may have cut this window screen from the inside. Tonight a law enforcement source involved in the investigation tells me that whoever is saying this is simply stating an opinion and that there is no forensic evidence to back that up. However, this law enforcement source does say that one member of the extended family who has taken a polygraph has results that are inconclusive, and they will want to take a closer look at this person.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Police confirmed that the theory of an inside job at the Smart home with family members or extended family members participating in the abduction of Elizabeth Smart is being examined. But they characterized it as one of many theories being probed.
CAPT. SCOTT ATKINSON, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: I don't think that we're putting any more weight on this particular theory than we have any others.
BUCKLEY: But it was front-page news in the "Salt Lake Tribune" and one of Elizabeth's uncles said it was understandable the family would be scrutinized.
DAVE SMART, ELIZABETH'S UNCLE: As you know in investigations, there are many boxes that need to be checked, and we feel that the family box is one of those boxes, and if the police did not do their job, if they did not investigate us, they would not be doing there job. They'd be negligent.
BUCKLEY: On Thursday, Elizabeth's nine-year old sister, Mary Katherine (ph), was again interviewed by investigators. She was sleeping in the room with Elizabeth and is the only known witness to the abduction.
If it was in fact a family member, an extended family member, wouldn't she recognize that person, and if so, why wouldn't you be able to quickly make an arrest?
ATKINSON: That's correct. If she had recognized the person and been able to give us a name or recognizes as being a family member, we believe that she probably would have told us that.
BUCKLEY: Still, police refused to rule out any possible family involvement, but they have virtually ruled out this man. Bret Edmunds, a transient whom police say they are seeking only for questioning. Police say they want to talk to Edmunds because he was seen in the Smart neighborhood a night or two before the abduction and may have noticed something. He is not, they say, a suspect.
ATKINSON: We do not believe that Mr. Edmunds was involved.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BUCKLEY: Tonight police dogs were back at the Smart family home. Police only saying that that was done as a precaution to go back over some ground that they've already checked out and they had no further explanation for that - Carol.
LIN: Frank, are the police now going to polygraph the entire Smart family? And if so, how many people are we talking about?
BUCKLEY: Well, there is a very large family, both within the family and an extended family. It isn't clear just how many people will be polygraph. Police have said that they will use that tool again. They say it's just one of their investigative tools, but it isn't clear just how many members of the family will be polygraph. We can say, however, that this tool has been used throughout the investigation, not just on family members and extended family members, but other people who investigators have been talking to.
LIN: And the family member whose polygraph was inconclusive, was that Elizabeth Smart's father?
BUCKLEY: Well we're not -- the person has not been identified to us, except to say that it was an extended family member, and the results were, as you say inconclusive, and that's sort of in the middle. You can either be deceptive or not deceptive or inconclusive.
In the case of deceptive or inconclusive, in the absence of some sort of a confession, what investigators use that for is another tool to say this is someone that we need to take a look at. We need to see about this person's alibi and give this person a little more scrutiny.
LIN: All right, thank you very much. Frank Buckley, live in Salt Lake City with that. We are back in a moment.
ANNOUNCER: Next, our cameras take you to the edge of an inferno.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty much pointed up in the hills, you know, that's where we need to be.
ANNOUNCER: We'll go live to the scene of a massive wildfire when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: As wildfires continue to burn outside Denver, doctors there have been bombarded with questions about smoke-related illnesses, including smoke inhalation. Common symptoms for smoke inhalation include shortness of breath, coughing and a tightness in the chest.
LIN: Forecasters say that massive wildfire in Colorado could burn all summer long, with nine major wildfires burning in that state, many residents are on edge. To give us an idea of what they're facing now, CNN's Charles Molineaux live in Castlerock, Colorado just south of Denver. Charles, what's the situation there now?
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Carol, that long-term forecast is that we could very well see this fire burning into September. On the more shorter term, we are seeing the danger and instability and the threats continue on the southeastern end of the Hayman fire, where the wind has been generally blowing south and threatening more widening of the fire and threatening more homes.
Up north in the extreme southwestern suburbs of Denver, the Forest Service says this was actually a pretty good day where the southerly winds made for more opportunities to do more containment on the fire, which is what the firefighters have been trying to do. Take advantage of the conditions as they have worked in their favor.
Today we went out and joined the crews on the fire lines in the middle of the Pike National Forest where the benign weather has allowed them to stay at the business of stopping this fire in earnest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Firefighters from Oregon and California are now working controlled burns and creating fire breaks in Decker (ph) and Trumble (ph), two towns that were in the bull's eye of the Hayman fire. Some of them scrambled out to the fire lines barely an hour after arriving in Colorado.
JOSH SPIEGEL, OREGON FIREFIGHTER: I got sick, very nervous about being here. It ain't nothing. It's not bad.
MOLINEAUX: You can handle it?
SPIEGEL: We can handle it. We got a good crew.
BILL WILSON, CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTER: We were on shift and they came in and said there's a fire in Colorado. Who wants to go, and we were all jumping up, ready to go.
MOLINEAUX: Right now firefighters are standing guard along a very narrow and small containment line that they have dug here. This is actually meant to contain a much bigger one, which is being built right now using fire itself.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) back fires here outside of Decker (ph) to keep the fire from coming down this ridge. Once it does, this fire is under enough control, it will allow the undergrowth to be burned out, dangerous flammable grass, which is bone dry right now, removed from the area, depriving the fire of fuel and setting up a much larger containment line along this hill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) trees. These won't last very long probably. In a couple of hours they'll be ashes.
MOLINEAUX: And burn out all by itself?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MOLINEAUX (on camera): The sky crane helicopter is going to be a really welcomed sight out on the fire line. As you can see, it's a huge orange color, its distinctive twin rotor blades as it comes out of the smoke and comes in to drop that huge bucket into the South Platte River. It picks up about 500 to 1,000 gallons of water at a time, a welcome relief on a hot spot. We've got one burning on this ridge right over here, so it's going to drop in and then take off. It's been making laps right near this campground dealing with the flames of this hot spot about to come over the ridge.
MOLINEAUX (voice-over): Another challenge is the altitude. These lines are at 6,500 feet and some of these fire crews are from sea level.
JAVIER HERNANDEZ, OREGON FIREFIGHTER: The first couple days, you know, we get out and kind of hike a little bit and work around and it's a little tough on your lungs, but there's a lot of clean air up here. It's good for you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MOLINEAUX: And they're having an opportunity to get used to that here in Castle Rock, the northern command center for the Hayman fire. A tent city is erupting. The expectation is that by the time tomorrow breaks, there could be as many as 2,000 firefighters working on this one. Carol.
LIN: Charles, here's what I don't get. If you could get right up next to that fire on the front lines there, why is it that these firefighters are having such a hard time containing this massive blaze? It didn't look that massive or intense.
MOLINEAUX: It is very much a matter of which way the wind is blowing. Those firefighters are working on that back fire knowing that they had the wind to their backs. The wind was blowing the exact opposite direction from which they were lighting the fire. It is much safer to work when you do that. The circumstances can be very much dependent upon what the wind does.
A key moment of the day is what they call the witching hour, between about two and four o'clock in the afternoon here, when the normal daily warming of the temperature can create widely divergent wind conditions and things become very unpredictable.
When things are as easily predictable as they were when we were on the fire lines with those firefighters, they were feeling very safe. It is when conditions become a little more unstable, there is no telling where that fire is going to go and they want to get out of the way.
That is very much the situation at the southern end of the fire. At the northern end of the fire, it is the fact the firefighters have the winds at their backs and blowing this fire back in on itself has allowed them the opportunity to get in, actually make some efforts to contain it at this end.
LIN: Charles Molineaux live in Castle Rock. It just goes to show that those firefighters need a lucky break, so will the weather be a friend or a foe to those firefighters? We're going to bring in meteorologist Karen Eden from our Denver affiliate KDZR. When's the break going to happen?
KAREN EDEN, KDZR WEATHER ANCHOR: Well you know what, Carol, we've never had to deal with a fire of such enormous proportions when it comes to forecasting the weather as well, and we are discovering a lot of things.
First of all, we've discovered that the fire is creating its own weather. It's creating its own wind gusts. It's feeding off of those gusts, and in addition, it's causing a little bit of cloud ceiling and that's creating some isolated showers and thunderstorms, but they're not very substantial.
And given how terrain, they were talking about the winds, you know we have winds at the surface in one direction and we have winds at a higher elevation blowing in a different direction and at times it's like you just can not get a handle on these winds, so you can understand why it's very difficult to try to contain this fire.
The good news is, we've had cooler temperatures than we've had in recent days and also there's a little bit more low level moisture, which is going to keep the humidity up. So that's good news, but honestly it's minute. What we really need is a decent rain around here.
LIN: Yes, and so far nothing in sight it sounds like. Thank you very much.
EDEN: No.
LIN: Karen Eden of KDZR. Well the parched conditions that sparked this fire season earlier than usual may last all summer and into the fall as we've been reporting. So says the National Weather Service now.
And take a look at this, right now forecasters say about a third of the country is experiencing a drought, some much worse than others. Wildfires started earlier this year. Nearly 1.4 million acres from New Jersey to California have already been torched and that's nearly twice the norm.
Well the wildfires may have a deep impact on Colorado's economy, beyond the damage caused to property now. Fires are currently burning in four major areas frequented by tourists. That's significant because tourism is one of the three top industries in that state.
Twenty-four million people visited Colorado last year. With them, came $7 billion in revenue, supporting some 200,000 jobs. Tourism was up last year despite the drought, fires, and a softening economy. We are back in a moment.
ANNOUNCER: Next, baring their souls.
TERRY LIGHT, ABUSE VICTIM: There I was without an adult knocking on the rectory door. The priest answers the door, takes me into the rectory, and rapes me and threatens me, tells me, you know, I'll burn in hell if I ever tell anybody.
ANNOUNCER: We'll go back live to Dallas, where victims of sexual abuse by priests speak to the leaders of the Catholic Church.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LIN: We've got more on our top story now. Roman Catholic bishops began their conference in Dallas, Texas admitting mistakes and talking about healing. Then they quietly listened as four individuals told how Catholic priests sexually abused them. Over the last six months, at least 250 priests have been suspended or they resigned.
CNN's Leon Harris is covering the bishops' conference in Dallas and he's got more now. Leon.
HARRIS: Hello, Carol. Yes, and after the bishops did hear some of that, that absolutely heart-wrenching testimony from those four people who got up and decided to share their stories. A couple of them we heard had not done that before publicly like that.
The bishops then left and they, after break, they went behind closed doors to begin in executive session their deliberations about what's going to - this policy and how it's going to look and the charter that it's going to be in. And, I got to tell you, they're still at - that process is still underway, and as I hear it from one of the members of one of the committees, they're going to be at it for hours tonight.
But you know, this like many stories is one with two sides, the church's side and then the side of the victims and we're going to give you both of those sides and we're going to begin with Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua who's from the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL ANTHONY BEVILACQUA, ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA: I don't see them, you know, they certainly have listened and understand what was said this morning and I think it's going to assist them in approaching a zero tolerance (inaudible). I think it's going to - some of the bishops that may be wavering, I think will have made up their mind today.
HARRIS: OK, what about the prospect of holding the bishops accountable for what happened here? Do you think there should be resignations in the wake of the bishops?
BEVILACQUA: It depends, when you say resignations, it depends on what has happened. That's too complex. You have to understand that we can't judge, you know, today what happened say in 1985. This occurred over the years and many of them have taken action over the years in a gradual way as they learned more. We didn't know much about it in 1985.
HARRIS: But what about the more recent cases?
BEVILACQUA: Now, since 1992, bishops have become firmer and now since it happened in January, I think many bishops even took on stricter policies. More and more that I speak to are speaking of the zero tolerance both for the future and to a certain degree in the past too.
HARRIS: Is it going to be necessary for there to be something of a timetable put in place here so that there is a building, a trust, so that you can't just say, OK we'll do this sort of thing, we'll have these reforms, we'll address your problems and we'll get to them eventually? Eventually from what we're hearing from some of these groups is not good enough a term for them. Is it going to be necessary to establish a timeline or a timeframe?
BEVILACQUA: When you say eventually, I don't know. I mean if you're talking about the immediate decisions of the bishops on zero tolerance, that will probably be enacted almost immediately, what we're hoping for. As I said we have it already in our archdiocese (inaudible), but to make it uniform is important. To make it a national policy for everyone to have accountability for everyone, that has to be enacted fairly quickly. The establishment of a national office, which I think is very important, is a part of the recommendation. That could take a while.
HARRIS: Yes.
BEVILACQUA: To find out well what is the jurisdiction of that office and so on. But no, this has to happen rather expeditiously.
HARRIS: But you perceive perhaps a decision being made by tomorrow and then perhaps by Monday or so, the priests who have been targeted, these priests who have been accused and they're proven - in cases that have been proven that something is going to happen to remove them or place them in some position out of harm's way?
BEVILACQUA: That's up to the local bishops to do that. It depends on what we agree on now and I haven't seen inserted in the policy a timeline, but I do expect it to be done as quickly as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: All right, that's side one, the side of the Church. Coming up after break, we'll have the other side, the side of the victims, so stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Two hundred eighteen priests have been removed from their positions this year due to child sexual abuse allegations. At least 34 known offenders remain in church jobs, this according to the Washington Post.
HARRIS: And welcome back. Leon Harris here live from Dallas here reporting from this historic bishops' conference here where they're discussing right now, even as we speak, whether or not there will be a zero tolerance policy for priests who abuse children.
Now before the break, we heard the church's side of the story and now we're going to hear the victims' side of the story. Joining us now is Mark Serrano who's from the group SNAP, which is the acronym for Survivors Network for Those Abused by Priests. You've been here and I got to hear bits and pieces of your story as well, and I have to say it is, again, one of these heartbreaking stories, and we're glad to hear your part of this this evening. MARK SERRANO, SNAP: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: First of all, your thoughts about what you've heard so far, has it been enough?
SERRANO: Well, I think what we've seen today is (UNINTELLIGIBLE), well scripted, to try to lull us into believing that the problem is over. In reality, what I think we're going to see passed tomorrow is a zero tolerance, zero accountability policy.
HARRIS: Why don't you have any confidence in what you've been hearing? We heard Bishop Gregory began the meeting with wave after waver of apology and acknowledgement and admittance there actually was a problem with the leadership, in fact saying the leadership should confess.
SERRANO: Bishop Gregory talked about acts of the past. Bishop Gregory blamed media and society. Look, saying the words "I'm sorry" is fine but we need to see an act of contrition. We need to be demonstrated having our changes in policy.
HARRIS: Now what then will you be looking for when this meeting is wrapped up? But it is over Friday and we expect there will be some sort of a policy and at some level of accountability is going to have to be in it. What will you not accept?
SERRANO: Well, there's no level of accountability, Leon. I mean two-thirds of these men have knowingly protected sexual offenders in their diocese, two-thirds of them, OK. They've aided and abetted in crimes, and they are saying trust us. Well you know they've been trusted, that's why we have this crisis and they can't be trusted any further.
HARRIS: Well then would seeing bishops being removed from their positions, their being forced to resign, would that satisfy your group?
SERRANO: Oh, that's a great start. I mean look, this is devastating crimes against children. Lives have been lost and yet, we see a lot of soft language. I mean you know these men can vote in favor of a policy tomorrow, go back to their diocese, not implement a single line of it and pay no consequence whatsoever. That's not a policy.
HARRIS: They say that what they're trying to accomplish here is to make sure that when they leave Dallas, the message here is that we hear you. We get it. It will never happen again. Do you see any way at all possible they can actually prove that and say that and communicate that to your satisfaction?
SERRANO: I think listening comes easy, talk is cheap, but moral action is priceless, and I think you know if they genuinely cared, they'd be willing to put their own jobs on the line to fix this problem, and they'd also be willing to begin an earnest, genuine dialog with survivors. We represent thousands of victims across America. HARRIS: How much healing do you think there will be amongst survivors after Dallas?
SERRANO: There is healing when victims are empowered by breaking their silence when they see people like me do it. That's healing. We're on a rescue, we're on a recovery and rescue mission and you know we reach out to victims. That's what we've been doing. We've been doing that for the church for a long time.
HARRIS: Well I know many, and I'll say many here, appreciate the work that you have done. Mark Serrano, thank you very much. We thank you for your time and commend you for the bravery this week that we've been able to witness.
SERRANO: Let me stress. Leon, many Catholics in America want to see this happen.
HARRIS: All right, we'll be watching to see how things play out.
SERRANO: Thank you.
HARRIS: Now as we said here, the cardinals and bishops are not the only ones here at this meeting. Others who were victimized by some of the priests down here who have been the subjects of these discussions are also here as well. Here now to look at their story is our Rusty Dornin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Smiles of innocence and deception. Father George Francis spiritually guided seven-year-old Terry Light and her classmates to their first communion at St. Bede's in Hayward, California. In 1959, when Light was in the second grade, she went to the church rectory looking for her mother. Instead, she saw another face she thought she could trust.
LIGHT: There I was without an adult, knocking on the rectory door. The priest answers the door, takes me into the rectory and rapes me and threatens me, tells me you know that I'll burn in hell if I ever tell anybody.
DORNIN: Silent for more than 30 years, Light filed and eventually settled the lawsuit with the diocese in 1993, but officials refuse to admit wrongdoing by the priest, who never spoke publicly about the charges. Then in 1998, Father Francis died and the church honored him.
LIGHT: We hear this guy died. They had one of those big masses you know with all these people coming and the press and they put this stuff in the paper, and it was like no one would ever know the truth.
DORNIN: So, Light told them the truth, spelling it out for all to see. It was that day officials told reporters Father Francis not only molested her but others. A spokesman for the Oakland Diocese told CNN they believe Light's charges. Now she's on a mission with out sex abuse survivors, meeting with the Catholic bishops in Dallas, to bring up what was once only talked about behind closed doors.
LIGHT: We're the ones that went through it. We're the ones that are challenged to try to figure out how to get on with our lives.
DORNIN (on camera): A bishops' committee has recommended the church defrock any priest who abuses children in the future, but says that if a priest only abused one child in the past, he might continue as a priest. Light says that makes no sense.
LIGHT: It's wrong because probably it's not just one, and even if it is one, like what's - like to sacrifice one child and the potential for other children? Just once again it feels like a church that's morally bankrupt.
DORNIN: And as a survivor, Terry Light wants to keep the past from repeating itself, Rusty Dornin, CNN, Hayward, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And, Carol, I must say as amazing as it is to hear these peoples' stories, it's just been incredibly frustrating to understand that no matter how many times we hear it, many of us, all of us will never fully understand what they went through. But we'll be here in Dallas to try to learn more, back to you in Atlanta.
LIN: How interesting to hear from both sides in the context of this conference and hopefully they can come to some solutions. Leon Harris in Dallas, good to see you, and we'll be looking forward to your continuing coverage tomorrow.
HARRIS: You got it.
LIN: Well he weathered hurricanes and tropical storms, in the elements and in front of the camera. Coming up after a break, the loss of the Weather Channel legend; also, a country singer and a controversy of patriotism, LIVE FROM will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Now a look at some of the other stories making headlines. You may not know John Hope's name, but odds are you know his face, especially if you were live or you live where hurricanes threaten.
Almost 20 years of Hope - Hope was the hurricane specialist on the Weather Channel, but he died today of complications following heart surgery. He was 83 years old.
Zacarias Moussaoui, the alleged would-be 20th hijacker, will now be handling his own case. A federal judge ruled today Moussaoui is mentally competent and can represent himself, although she advised against it. Maintaining his innocence, Moussaoui said he understood but he still wants to fire his defense team. As expected, Afghanistan's interim leader will be its new president. By a landslide, Hamid Karzai was elected today to a two- year term. And under pressure to reform his Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat today convened a new slimmed down cabinet and said he hopes to set a date soon for new elections. He told his ministers that a peace process with Israel must continue.
Patriotism and controversy, country singer Toby Keith finds himself in the middle of a network conundrum. Details when LIVE FROM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Well you apparently won't be hearing a song called "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" on ABC anytime soon. Singer Toby Keith says the network cancelled an invitation for him to perform the patriotic song on a Fourth of July special. The problem appears to be the lyrics, which are angry and raw. Keith provided a sample on CNN.
LIN: Well, Keith told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings, scheduled to host the July 4th special, found the lyrics too controversial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOBY KEITH, SINGER: All I heard was that it came down from Mr. Jennings that the lyrical content wasn't -- would not be performed -- because of lyric content, this song will not be performed on that show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Now ABC denies that Keith was ever signed to appear. The network says, and I'm quoting here: "We have cast a wide net searching for performers and considered adding Toby Keith to the lineup, unfortunately a number of factors, including logistical ones prevented us from booking him."
And that's our report tonight. I'm Carol Lin. "LARRY KING LIVE" is next.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
