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Law Possibly Discussing Resignation in Rome

Aired December 10, 2002 - 13:06   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: Now the even bigger scandal in the Catholic Church today. The Vatican is saying that Boston's Cardinal Law may be summoned to see the pope. Law slipped out of Boston unannounced and secretly traveled to Rome. And as you know, the Boston sex scandal has only gotten worse, and calls for Law to quit have gotten even louder.
CNN's Bill Delaney is standing by in Boston to give us the latest from there -- Bill.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thanks, Kyra. You know, the call most significant and really extraordinary and unprecedented here that 58 priests have now signed, sealed, and delivered a letter to Cardinal Bernard Law asking for his resignation, 58 priests from this troubled Boston archdiocese.

This, as you said, as Cardinal Bernard Law is in Rome meeting with at least two high Vatican officials today. Now, who he is meeting with, we'll tell you what he's talking about.

He's meeting with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. He is the head of the Congregation of Bishops. Were the subject resignation, Cardinal Re is who Cardinal Law would be meeting with. They are clearly talking about resignation, the possibility of it.

He's also meeting with a cardinal who would be the man to speak to about bankruptcy, the possibility of declaring bankruptcy here, Chapter 11, in the Boston archdiocese.

Now, let's take a quick look, first, at the status of that possibility of bankruptcy, Kyra. What I can certainly tell you is it is an idea that doesn't have supporters that we can find from just about any corner of this archdiocese, alleged victims hate the idea, of course. They feel they would be lumped into one big group and lessen their chances for some kind of closure and personal attention, addressing the ordeals they say they have been through.

Priests -- and we've spoken to quite a number of them in the past 24, 48 hours -- I haven't met one yet, whether a supporter of the cardinal or not, who thinks bankruptcy is a good idea. They think it would stain the credibility of the church.

Interestingly, the plaintiffs' attorneys may have been nudged a little bit closer towards settlement by the threat of bankruptcy. They're certainly talking about wanting settlement sooner, and hoping for it than they were a week ago. Now, as for the question of resignation, we've been speaking to a lot of priests, as I said. Some are for it, like -- as we'll see in a moment, Father Robert Burns (sic), and others, like Father James Burke who we spoke to just a couple of hours ago -- well, this is what he had to say about resignation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JAMES BURKE, ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON: No. I don't think resignation is going to do anything. It's only going to prolong the pain and the hurt of the victims. I think that Cardinal Law has to reach out, and he has to take responsibility for what has happened, and he has to show the victims -- he also has to work with the people of the archdiocese and the priests to bring healing and to bring unity to the church of Boston, and when that happens, then he can move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. ROBERT BOWERS, BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE: It's no longer possible for me to accept the credibility of this archbishop, and I just don't see his ability to lead us as being integral anymore. He doesn't have what it takes now to be the archbishop of Boston, which needs a very strong leader. He has now compromised himself. So it became important for me to stand with the people of my parish, who have been calling for this and looking to me to say something about it for quite some time, and I feel that I stand with my brother priests, and with many, many people in the church in asking for the cardinal to accept resignation as a way to heal our church, as a way to move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DELANEY: Divides here in Boston. Another development, Father Paul Shanley, who is in jail on rape charges, may now be released from jail as soon as today on bail, $300,000 worth of bail. We're trying to find out, but we don't know, and no one I know in this town knows just where that $300,000 bail is coming from -- back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Bill Delaney, thank you so much.

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 December 10, 2002 - 13:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now the even bigger scandal in the Catholic Church today. The Vatican is saying that Boston's Cardinal Law may be summoned to see the pope. Law slipped out of Boston unannounced and secretly traveled to Rome. And as you know, the Boston sex scandal has only gotten worse, and calls for Law to quit have gotten even louder.
CNN's Bill Delaney is standing by in Boston to give us the latest from there -- Bill.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thanks, Kyra. You know, the call most significant and really extraordinary and unprecedented here that 58 priests have now signed, sealed, and delivered a letter to Cardinal Bernard Law asking for his resignation, 58 priests from this troubled Boston archdiocese.

This, as you said, as Cardinal Bernard Law is in Rome meeting with at least two high Vatican officials today. Now, who he is meeting with, we'll tell you what he's talking about.

He's meeting with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. He is the head of the Congregation of Bishops. Were the subject resignation, Cardinal Re is who Cardinal Law would be meeting with. They are clearly talking about resignation, the possibility of it.

He's also meeting with a cardinal who would be the man to speak to about bankruptcy, the possibility of declaring bankruptcy here, Chapter 11, in the Boston archdiocese.

Now, let's take a quick look, first, at the status of that possibility of bankruptcy, Kyra. What I can certainly tell you is it is an idea that doesn't have supporters that we can find from just about any corner of this archdiocese, alleged victims hate the idea, of course. They feel they would be lumped into one big group and lessen their chances for some kind of closure and personal attention, addressing the ordeals they say they have been through.

Priests -- and we've spoken to quite a number of them in the past 24, 48 hours -- I haven't met one yet, whether a supporter of the cardinal or not, who thinks bankruptcy is a good idea. They think it would stain the credibility of the church.

Interestingly, the plaintiffs' attorneys may have been nudged a little bit closer towards settlement by the threat of bankruptcy. They're certainly talking about wanting settlement sooner, and hoping for it than they were a week ago. Now, as for the question of resignation, we've been speaking to a lot of priests, as I said. Some are for it, like -- as we'll see in a moment, Father Robert Burns (sic), and others, like Father James Burke who we spoke to just a couple of hours ago -- well, this is what he had to say about resignation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JAMES BURKE, ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON: No. I don't think resignation is going to do anything. It's only going to prolong the pain and the hurt of the victims. I think that Cardinal Law has to reach out, and he has to take responsibility for what has happened, and he has to show the victims -- he also has to work with the people of the archdiocese and the priests to bring healing and to bring unity to the church of Boston, and when that happens, then he can move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. ROBERT BOWERS, BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE: It's no longer possible for me to accept the credibility of this archbishop, and I just don't see his ability to lead us as being integral anymore. He doesn't have what it takes now to be the archbishop of Boston, which needs a very strong leader. He has now compromised himself. So it became important for me to stand with the people of my parish, who have been calling for this and looking to me to say something about it for quite some time, and I feel that I stand with my brother priests, and with many, many people in the church in asking for the cardinal to accept resignation as a way to heal our church, as a way to move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DELANEY: Divides here in Boston. Another development, Father Paul Shanley, who is in jail on rape charges, may now be released from jail as soon as today on bail, $300,000 worth of bail. We're trying to find out, but we don't know, and no one I know in this town knows just where that $300,000 bail is coming from -- back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Bill Delaney, thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com