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New Archbishop of Boston Installed Today

Aired July 30, 2003 - 14:15   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A humble friar takes over as Boston's new Roman Catholic archbishop greeted with open arms as well as protest. Bishop Sean O'Malley was installed as the city's sixth archbishop during a low-key ceremony this morning. For many Catholics O'Malley represents a new beginning in an aftermath of a damaging and troubling sex abuse scandal. National correspondent Gary Tuchman is live now in Boston with that. Hi, Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, hello to you. He's a 59-year-old Franciscan friar from the state Ohio who has led Catholic communities in Fall River, Massachusetts and Palm Beach, Florida. And now he has become the leader of the highest-profile Catholic community in the United States, the Archdiocese of Boston.

Sean Patrick O'Malley installed this morning inside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston's south end neighborhood. He takes the place of Cardinal Bernard Law forced out, resigning amid a huge sexual abuse scandal here in the Archdiocese of Boston. There are still more than 500 lawsuits pending against this archdiocese and dozens of priests. Also, the state attorney general last week saying that at least 789 children have been molested by priests or higher ups in the church since 1940.

Now Sean Patrick O'Malley has been brought into the other diocese, Fall River and West Palm Beach to help out with similar sexual abuse scandals. And today while he was installed he talked to victims of sexual abuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN PATRICK O'MALLEY, BOSTON ARCHBISHOP: And at the beginning of this installation ceremony, I again ask forgiveness for all the harm done to young people by clergy, religious and hierarchy. The whole Catholic community is ashamed and anguished because of the pain and the damage inflicted on so many young people. And because of our inability or unwillingness to deal with the crime of sexual abuse of minors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Archbishop O'Malley invited sexual abuse victims into the installation ceremony. And this man next to me is one of them. This is Gary Bergeron. When he was 12-years-old in 1974 he was molested dozens of times by one priest, a priest who allegedly molested more than 50 other boys.

Gary, I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Tell me what you thought about the archbishop's talk about sexual abuse.

GARY BERGERON, PRIEST ABUSE VICTIM: You know I was much more impressed with how he said what he said today. I heard those words before, they were said by other men, men before him. But I was very, very surprised at the compassion that I sensed. This is the first time that I've seen an official of the Archdiocese of Boston stand up. And I felt that man really spoke in his heart today.

TUCHMAN: You told me it's the first time have you been in a mass with 30 years.

BERGERON: The first time I've been with my parents in 30 years.

TUCHMAN: Let me ask you this: during the state attorney general report last week he mentioned that, We don't know if abuse isn't continuing here in the Archdiocese of Boston. What would you say to a child or teenager who is being molested at the present time?

BERGERON: My advice would be to a parent to get involved in the child's life. Ask those questions. It's never too young to educate the child about where they should be touched or where they shouldn't be touched. Call it a safe zone, call it my own space.

It's important for parents to talk to the child about it because a 10 and 11 or 13-year-old boy or girl is not going to talk to the parents about it without being probed.

TUCHMAN: Gary Bergeron, thank you very much for talking with us.

Gary is one of the 500 lawsuits still pending against this church. We can tell you that the new archbishop has said it is a moral imperative to settle these lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Boston. Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Very big job, indeed. Gary Tuchman live for us in Boston. Thanks so much, Gary.

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 July 30, 2003 - 14:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A humble friar takes over as Boston's new Roman Catholic archbishop greeted with open arms as well as protest. Bishop Sean O'Malley was installed as the city's sixth archbishop during a low-key ceremony this morning. For many Catholics O'Malley represents a new beginning in an aftermath of a damaging and troubling sex abuse scandal. National correspondent Gary Tuchman is live now in Boston with that. Hi, Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, hello to you. He's a 59-year-old Franciscan friar from the state Ohio who has led Catholic communities in Fall River, Massachusetts and Palm Beach, Florida. And now he has become the leader of the highest-profile Catholic community in the United States, the Archdiocese of Boston.

Sean Patrick O'Malley installed this morning inside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston's south end neighborhood. He takes the place of Cardinal Bernard Law forced out, resigning amid a huge sexual abuse scandal here in the Archdiocese of Boston. There are still more than 500 lawsuits pending against this archdiocese and dozens of priests. Also, the state attorney general last week saying that at least 789 children have been molested by priests or higher ups in the church since 1940.

Now Sean Patrick O'Malley has been brought into the other diocese, Fall River and West Palm Beach to help out with similar sexual abuse scandals. And today while he was installed he talked to victims of sexual abuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN PATRICK O'MALLEY, BOSTON ARCHBISHOP: And at the beginning of this installation ceremony, I again ask forgiveness for all the harm done to young people by clergy, religious and hierarchy. The whole Catholic community is ashamed and anguished because of the pain and the damage inflicted on so many young people. And because of our inability or unwillingness to deal with the crime of sexual abuse of minors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Archbishop O'Malley invited sexual abuse victims into the installation ceremony. And this man next to me is one of them. This is Gary Bergeron. When he was 12-years-old in 1974 he was molested dozens of times by one priest, a priest who allegedly molested more than 50 other boys.

Gary, I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Tell me what you thought about the archbishop's talk about sexual abuse.

GARY BERGERON, PRIEST ABUSE VICTIM: You know I was much more impressed with how he said what he said today. I heard those words before, they were said by other men, men before him. But I was very, very surprised at the compassion that I sensed. This is the first time that I've seen an official of the Archdiocese of Boston stand up. And I felt that man really spoke in his heart today.

TUCHMAN: You told me it's the first time have you been in a mass with 30 years.

BERGERON: The first time I've been with my parents in 30 years.

TUCHMAN: Let me ask you this: during the state attorney general report last week he mentioned that, We don't know if abuse isn't continuing here in the Archdiocese of Boston. What would you say to a child or teenager who is being molested at the present time?

BERGERON: My advice would be to a parent to get involved in the child's life. Ask those questions. It's never too young to educate the child about where they should be touched or where they shouldn't be touched. Call it a safe zone, call it my own space.

It's important for parents to talk to the child about it because a 10 and 11 or 13-year-old boy or girl is not going to talk to the parents about it without being probed.

TUCHMAN: Gary Bergeron, thank you very much for talking with us.

Gary is one of the 500 lawsuits still pending against this church. We can tell you that the new archbishop has said it is a moral imperative to settle these lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Boston. Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Very big job, indeed. Gary Tuchman live for us in Boston. Thanks so much, Gary.

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