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Catholic Priest Accused of Sex Abuse Back in Court
Aired July 10, 2002 - 14:12 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A former priest at the center of the church sex abuse scandal is back in court this hour. He is going to face charges of abusing several boys more than a decade ago. CNN's Bill Delaney is standing by outside the courthouse there in Cambridge, Massachusetts -- Bill.
BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Kyra. Well, you know, former priest Father Paul Shanley back in the 1970s was a very celebrated, even beloved figure here in and around Boston. He was a street priest. He worked with runaways.
Well, right about now, in Middlesex Superior Court here in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he's being arraigned on some very serious charges. It was a few weeks ago that a grand jury brought down an indictment against Paul Shanley, charging him with 10 counts of child rape and six counts of indecent assault and battery on a minor under 14. Two of the complainants in this criminal action, Paul Busa and Gregory Ford, say they were first raped by Paul Shanley in 1983 when they were just six years old, and for six years after that at St. John the Evangelist Church in Newton, just outside of Boston.
Paul Shanley, in an earlier court action, pled guilty -- pled not guilty to these charges. We expect him to plead not guilty again, and that should be happening, as I say, right about now, this arraignment right behind us, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Bill, back to the bishop's conference that happened about a month ago and the new policy changes. How is it playing out?
DELANEY: Well, you know, it is about three weeks ago now that the bishops in Dallas, the American bishops, declared a zero-tolerance policy, an unprecedented zero-tolerance policy for any action of any kind that could be construed as sexual misconduct with a minor by a priest. Well, as if the Catholic Church didn't already have enough litigation facing it, there are hundreds of cases here in Boston, many hundreds more around this country. Now, some priests, particularly in the Chicago archdiocese, are resisting that zero-tolerance policy. They're appealing under canon law to the Vatican.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): With particularly American fanfare in a storm of media, American Catholic bishops announced June 14 new rules toward priests who sexually abuse children, zero tolerance. But already, as it often goes with rules, a call for exceptions.
Of eight priests removed since the new policy in the archdiocese of Chicago, five won't go. Reverend John Calicott's admitted a sexual incident in 1976 with two teenage boys. Not enough, he believes, to justify tearing a long-changed man from his inner city ministry. He is appealing to the Vatican.
REV. JOHN CALICOTT, CHICAGO DIOCESE: I'm very concerned that as a church, the policy does not seem to revolve around forgiveness and redemption, but rather around punishment or vengeance, not even around protecting kids as far as I can see. I have enough documentation to sink the Titanic, to show that I am not a risk to children.
DELANEY: Before the Dallas conference this year, more than 200 priests had been removed from ministry, and some 25 then after it. Only the five in Chicago are known to be appealing. But, even some strong supporters of the Dallas policy are interested now in some balance.
THOMAS GROOME, BOSTON COLLEGE: I think Rome is going to insist upon a far more precise definition of sexual abuse. The present definition of the bishops' statement seems to have so much latitude to it that it could be downright dangerous, that a person could be accused of pedophilia or ephebophilia or sexual abuse just by verbal -- the exchange of a risque joke.
We are also going to try to reach a middle ground on issues, especially of old crimes, of 35 years ago.
DELANEY: Loopholes, fear some, especially victims and families of victims.
RODNEY FORD, ALLEGED VICTIM'S FATHER: You can come up with the greatest set of policies and procedures in the world, but if these are the men that have to institute it, I don't put a lot of faith into that.
DELANEY: In these still trying times for all the Catholic faithful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Former priest Father Paul Shanley being arraigned as we speak behind me in Middlesex Superior Court. We expect today to get an idea of when he will actually go to trial probably in the next several months -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thank you, Bill Delaney.
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