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American Morning
Priest, Lawyer Discuss Suspension for Abuse
Aired March 06, 2002 - 08:09 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to move onto the issue of a crisis in the church: zero tolerance. That is increasingly how the Catholic Church is trying to deal with the issue of priests suspected of sexual misconduct. In a moment, we are going to meet a Boston area priest who is fighting the charges against him.
But first, Bill Delaney on archdiocese nationwide and how sex scandals have rocked their world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): About on a par with the Boston Tea Party's impact on king and country, it has been said, the impact on the Catholic Church of the sex scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston, which local district attorneys say now has turned over to them the names of some 99 priests accused in church records of sexual molestation of young men over the past three decades.
(on camera): Impact resounding around the country amid allegations of priest sexual misconduct around the country. In New England, in Philadelphia, in Tucson, in Santa Fe, in the nation's largest archdiocese, Los Angeles, bishops have announced zero tolerance, full disclosure policies, or are planning to, towards sexual misconduct, along the lines of what Boston's Bernard Cardinal Law has introduced here.
(voice-over): It all comes for the American Catholic Church of 61 million at a price in the institution's credibility for some and financially for many dioceses. Just one example, Tucson, Arizona, now retired Father Robert Trupia, arrested last year for felony child molestation in the 1970s, which he denied. He never went to trial, because of the statute of limitations. But the archdiocese acknowledged not doing enough to protect children in his case and 15 others.
FRED ALLISON, ARCHDIOCESE OF TUSCON: The bishop's letter of apology is the admission that things were not done correctly, that people did suffer and that abuse did in fact take place.
DELANEY: The archdiocese settled lawsuits for payments one expert testifying in court reportedly estimated in the $15 million range, costs the archdiocese has asked local Catholics to contribute to. In Boston, a diocese of 2 million, civil settlements in the case of former priest John Geoghan alone, a lawyer close to the case now estimates could eventually total $30 million. Nationwide, payouts, according to published estimates, could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, though figures are difficult to obtain precisely, since many settlements are confidential.
RICHARD SIPE, FORMER PRIEST: The church, the whole church in the United States is never going to be the same because of what's happening in Boston. And once this is opened to the light of day and people become aware of how the system works, they are not going to be satisfied. You cannot put the top on the box.
DELANEY: The top is still on though, say church critics in many places. A "Boston Globe" survey concluded a majority of major dioceses in the United States have not adopted full disclosure policies and don't demand all priests with confirmed allegations of sexual abuse be removed for good, though most psychiatrists and many in the church hierarchy now too acknowledge pedophilia is rarely cured even with treatment.
MOST REV. GERALD KICANAS, COADJUTOR BISHOP OF TUCSON: Pedophilia is an addiction. It's a compulsive behavior, and it's something that has to be dealt with very firmly and very directly.
DELANEY: But tens of millions of Catholics now hope is that with firmness, directness, this tortured moment in their church may prove transformative too, a way to greater openness and trust.
Bill Delaney, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: Father George Spagnolia was one of 10 priests suspended last month by the Boston Archdiocese for alleged sexual abuse. The leader of St. Patrick's Parish in Lowell, Massachusetts, has proclaimed his innocence and vowed to fight all of the charges all the way to Rome.
Father Spagnolia joins us now from Boston, along with his attorney, Eileen Donoghue. Welcome to both of you.
REV. GEORGE SPAGNOLIA, ST. PATRICK CHURCH: Thank you very much.
EILEEN DONOGHUE, SPAGNOLIA'S ATTORNEY: Good morning, Paula.
SPAGNOLIA: Good morning.
ZAHN: Good morning. So, Father Spagnolia, what is your reaction to word that the Boston Archdiocese has tentatively agreed to pay out more than $30 million to settle about 84 cases against Father John Geoghan?
SPAGNOLIA: Well I think that given the stance and position of the church prior to this zero tolerance policy that has been initiated, this is a logical conclusion to the stance that the church had taken prior to the Geoghan case in trying to cover up all of these instances.
ZAHN: All right. Polls have indicated that the majority of people in Boston feel that the archdiocese was trying to cover up this case, and they have been criticizing Cardinal Law for allowing Father Geoghan to be placed in parish after parish, even after a number of these charges were heard. Do you believe that the settlement is fueled in part by Cardinal Law wanting to keep his job?
SPAGNOLIA: Well I think we try to make reparation in the best ways that we can. And I don't want to say that paying out money -- I don't think it is the best thing to do, because it opens up a whole keg of worms, so to speak. But I think that in an effort to come to some mode of justice, this I believe is what is prompting the church to do this.
ZAHN: All right. Let us talk about your case. You have been charged with sexually abusing a teenage boy, one of your parishioners, back in 1971. And we have part of the statement that was provided to us by the attorney representing this young man and we'll put it up on the screen now.
And it says, "The victim who reported molestation at the hands of Father George Spagnolia has revealed credible evidence of abuse. He has provided a detailed statement that includes information he would not likely know if molestation had not occurred. Church authorities spoke with the victim at length and found him to be credible." Who is this person who is charging you with this?
SPAGNOLIA: Well I'm not at liberty -- I just don't think it's appropriate for me to reveal the name of the individual. The defense attorney has a right to do so, and the district attorney has the right to do so. But I don't think that it's within my purview to do that. I think the only way I can respond is that it was -- actually, it's two weeks ago today that I was called into the office of the archdiocese headquarters and was given this charge, which at that time I flatly denied and which I have constantly denied. That in no time in my priesthood or any other time either during my leave of absence did I ever molest anyone at any time.
DONOGHUE: And, Paula, it's important to remember that the accuser came forward alleging allegations that he says happened in 1971. And he came forward on February 16, 2002. That was the first time he made a report to the archdiocese. Further, it's the only accusation made against Father Spagnolia since he's been a priest since 1964. It just doesn't fit.
ZAHN: All right. So, Eileen and Father, this clearly begs the question, why is this young man saying these things about you now?
DONOGHUE: You know...
ZAHN: Father, do you want to take a stab at that?
SPAGNOLIA: Sure. I mean, my gut and my honest answer is, I haven't got the foggiest idea as to why this is coming up at this time. I don't -- I don't know whether it is all part of some sort of a political kind of thing, where it's vogue now to accuse. I just don't know.
DONOGHUE: It really is impossible to know what someone's motivation is, Paula. When you -- if you recall, the case of Cardinal Bernardin, when he was accused wrongfully, the young man who accused him said he was molested 20 years prior. And then fortunately, for Cardinal Bernardin, he recanted and said he lied. Now I don't think that accuser even knew why he did. So it's really impossible to know what's in the mind of someone else.
ZAHN: But, father, you're -- and, Eileen, you can answer this as well.
DONOGHUE: Sure.
ZAHN: The Father's credibility is now being called into question because of an interview you did with the "Boston Globe," where you volunteered that you had been celibate during your 20-year leave from the priesthood. But later in the week, you admitted to have two homosexual relationships during the time away from the church. Why then should the church believe your denial about 1971 if you switched your story on this?
SPAGNOLIA: Well it wasn't a question of switching my story. When I was asked by the "Boston Globe" directly, the question was I gay, I said, "Yes," so that the question was directly answered. It was the only time that whole area of my life came up. I have for obvious reasons -- and I think people can understand -- that this part of my life I wish to keep private. So that of my 19 years' leave of absence that I took from the active ministry of the church, this -- these homosexual affairs occupied no more than six of those years.
At no time during my priesthood, either before that leave of absence or after that leave of absence, did I violate my promise of celibacy.
DONOGHUE: And, Paula, I think...
(CROSSTALK)
ZAHN: Yeah, a quick closing thought on what you think Father Spagnolia will face here. We've just got about 15 seconds left...
(CROSSTALK)
DONOGHUE: Well, you know, Paula, we don't know, but all I can say is you have to judge that pedophilia is not a one-time occurrence. All the experts tell us it's over and over again. That does not apply to Father Spagnolia, and so he has to be judged on his credibility, his service to the church, and really his history, which is not one of ever molesting children or any human being.
ZAHN: Well we appreciate both of you joining us at a time when you are under siege. Father Spagnolia, thanks again for joining us, along with Eileen Donoghue.
SPAGNOLIA: Thank you, Paula. DONOGHUE: Thank you, Paula.
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