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American Morning

Former Vatican Ambassador Discusses Abuse Cases

Aired March 07, 2002 - 08:08   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: Let's move on to Boston, where the Catholic Archdiocese is being asked to pay up for decades of alleged sexual misconduct by some priests. Lawyers are now trying to work out a deal with 86 people, who claim they were molested by a defrocked priest.

The leader of the Archdiocese, Bernard Cardinal Law, is now under fire himself for his handling of the growing scandal, and nearly 100 other Boston area priests are being investigated for alleged abuse that goes back decades.

Joining us now from Boston is Ray Flynn, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican and the former mayor of Boston -- welcome -- good to see you again, sir.

RAY FLYNN, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE VATICAN: Hi, Paula. How are you?

ZAHN: I am fine, thanks. I'm going to just start off this morning by getting your reaction to a recent poll that was done in Boston. It's a "Boston Globe" WBBZ poll that says nearly half of all Boston Catholics want Cardinal Law to resign over this. Is that appropriate?

FLYNN: Well, I'll tell you. I don't think it's appropriate because of this -- for this reason. When there is trouble in a family, the last thing you want to see is the leader of the family abandoned by family. You want that person to stay there and bring about the change and the reform and the stability that a family needs. Cardinal Law is a good man, but he made a big mistake in this particular case, didn't protect innocent young children from pedophile priests.

And look, the easiest thing in the world for Cardinal Law to do now would be to walk away, throw up his hands and say, look, this is too complex for me. I think the more difficult thing to do would also be the most courageous thing for him to do is to stay here in Boston, bring about the level of change and reform, deal with this issue of compensation for victims and bring the Catholic Church back to its always cherished and respected position. And making sure that the good priests, the overwhelming number of good priests, not only in Boston but across the country, can celebrate Mass and perform the functions of the church without having this pedophilia situation hanging over their head, an embarrassment to everybody involved. ZAHN: I know you have just made it clear you believe it will be the courageous thing for Cardinal Law to hang in there. But are you at all sensitive to what these Boston Catholics are saying, essentially what you just repeated in a little bit of you answer, that they felt that their children were unprotected, when these allegations have gone back over decades?

FLYNN: Yes, I mean, people are really hurt. That's the best word that I could come up with. But like everything else, they -- it's a church that they admire, respect and love. And through adversity, in my opinion, I think once these changes, these reforms are brought about, people will go back to the real fundamental purpose of what the church is all about, as Cardinal Law has tried to represent, helping other people, families, building stronger families, building stronger communities.

Paula, you were in Boston. I was the mayor of Boston. We know the enormous good work that the Catholic Church and other religious organizations have done in helping people with AIDS and the homeless people or people who are retarded. And we want the Catholic Church to be in that position of respect and admiration, so that they can bring about, not only the reforms here, but also bring about a better quality of life for Catholics and non-Catholics, particularly people who are disenfranchised who have nowhere else to go, except the Catholic Church as the opportunity for them to raise their families and be part of a better society.

ZAHN: But, Ray, it would appear as though in spite of this $30 million settlement that has apparently been arrived to in the Father Geoghan case, that there are still Catholics who believe that that's not enough. Are you concerned that they will leave the Catholic Church altogether?

FLYNN: Well, I'll tell you. The church, like any institution, has had bumps in the road. And as I say, Cardinal Law is a good man, but sometimes good people make mistakes. This was a big mistake. Who among us have not made mistakes? But, Paula, the Catholic Church is rooted in forgiveness. We all make mistakes. We go to church. We go to confession. We ask for forgiveness. And that's what the church inherently teaches us, and that's what we are brought up to understand and to respect.

This, of course, is a huge issue that is getting sensational publicity in Boston, and people are hurt, and they just are bewildered. I think once these cases are settled, and this issue hopefully is behind the church, the church can go back to doing what it does best, and that is servicing people who are craving for these kinds of spiritual concerns and needs and love and admiration for the teaching of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church.

ZAHN: You have invested so much of your personal time and some professional passion into your church activities. On a personal level, how hurtful has this been to you to watch this play out in the community?

FLYNN: Paula, it's very, very painful, but I go back, Paula, to my earliest days with my mother and father. And it really isn't even about the leadership of the Catholic Church. I was born, brought up in the Catholic Church knowing how important the Catholic Church, the good that it does, the wonderful priests, the nuns, and how much wonderful work they have done helping families through difficult situations, deaths, sickness, unemployment, all of those kind of issues.

I even saw Cardinal Law in Boston help heal Boston, as you know, Paula, when Boston was racially divided, economically divided, and he was that voice of social and economic justice. And so it's painful for me to see Cardinal Law and the church community being depicted on a national level the way it is, and I'm just hoping and praying that once we get this behind us -- when I say get this behind us, I really sincerely mean compensation, justice for the victims, a better church policy that never again allows pedophile priests, despite the fact that there may be recommendations from medical professionals, which I think is a mistake. So those pedophile priests are never again allowed to be reassigned to another parish in Boston. And I think there should be a national policy, so that they can never again harm innocent young people.

ZAHN: We are going to have to leave it here this morning. Ray Flynn, I still have to call you Mr. Mayor. I covered you for so many years there. That will never leave my vocabulary.

FLYNN: And you did a good job there.

ZAHN: Thank you, Ray -- appreciate you joining us.

FLYNN: You did a great job, Paula. We miss you in Boston.

ZAHN: Oh, thank you -- appreciate that very much.

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