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American Morning

177 Priests Step Down in Abuse Scandal

Aired April 29, 2002 - 08:25   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: A new survey by "The Associated Press" finds that since the church sex abuse scandal started in January, 177 priests have left their positions in 28 different dioceses. And over the weekend, Boston's Cardinal Law said the definitive church policy on sexually abusive priests won't be ready until the June meeting of U.S. bishops.

Even after last week's Vatican summit, recent polls suggest many Americans are still uncertain just how much the church has move to address the problem.

Joining us now with his reaction is CNN contributor Bill Bennett of Empower America.

Good morning, Bill. How are you doing this morning?

WILLIAM BENNETT, EMPOWER AMERICA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning, Paula. Fine, thank you.

ZAHN: First of all, what is your reaction to some of this polling that's been done? We're going to put up on the screen some of the results from the "Newsweek" poll, which basically examined Americans' attitudes about whether the pope has left the situation ambiguous by not making it clear if the church should remove priests who sexually abuse children or other young people.

Does this come as any surprise to you at all?

BENNETT: No. These numbers are not surprising from my conversations with Catholics around the country. It's not surprising at all. Look, I think Rome was perfectly clear. I thought the pope was perfectly clear. It couldn't be less ambiguous. He said what we're talking about is an appalling sin and is rightly considered a crime. Appalling sin, rightly considered a crime, that's pretty serious language.

But the bishops and the cardinals have not, I think, satisfied the laity on this issue and they're still a little perplexed why they haven't satisfied them. It's a very interesting point, you know, a lot of people are taking off on the differences between the conservatives and the liberals on the final solution, ultimate solution of this problem. But what's most interesting is that conservatives and liberals alike in the church, in the laity, are disgruntled with the leadership. No matter what your position, if you will, on the politics of the church, people are unhappy with the bishops and the cardinals who mostly, people think, still don't get it, still don't understand the seriousness of it and the seriousness of it as it's being felt by Catholics.

ZAHN: Do you think they'll get it by the time they hold this meeting in Dallas?

BENNETT: I think it's late, Paula. I think, you know, a lot of hemorrhaging can go on between now and Dallas. One of the problems is Cardinal Law remains as the cardinal of Boston and given the record there in Boston, given the record of what he did, Catholic lay people do not understand why he has not, why he has not been removed.

There's a little, just a little instruction from the 16th century which has come back to bite the leadership. In the 16th century, it was debated how sacraments had took their effect. And just excuse a little bit of the Latin here, it was whether they took effect exopere operato, by virtue of the ritual rightly performed, or exopere operatus, whether it depended on the worthiness of the minister, whether the minister's worthiness determined whether the sacraments took effect.

The church decided on sound public policy reasons that sacraments would take effect whatever the worthiness of the minister, because you couldn't have the effectiveness of the sacraments depend upon whether the priests were worthy.

But critics at the time in the 16th century said well, if you do this, there's not going to be sufficient incentive for these priests and bishops to remain good and pure and clean. And that worry 500 years later now has come to haunt us. And this is what the laity is saying. They're saying you don't get it. You don't understand how seriously we take this. And this, these formulations that have come out since are unsatisfactory.

ZAHN: So if the laity is so profoundly disappointed and, in some cases, outraged by these results, what do you think the consequences will be financially to the church? We know there is a woman who's very active in Boston telling people not to give a dime to the church unless they have the insurance it's not going to be used to pay off a family or pay off some priests.

BENNETT: Right. Well, I think in Boston you probably will see those effects immediately, and one can understand the situation. I mean the corruption there is clear and unequivocal, even confessed to. By the way, I heard a priest say the other day, you know, we forgive your sins all the time, why aren't you guys forgiving ours? Well, because it's not clear that you understand just how serious this is. And I think this could have financial repercussions down the road.

But when the pope says what he says, underscores the importance of it, when the laity on the other side, on the other hand, is telling you how seriously it takes it, you have got to do more than I think has been done so far. I think there'll probably be a couple of cardinals who will step forward, Cardinal McCarrick of Washington I think has been very clear and unambiguous and all points here for the clear and unambiguous cardinal who steps forward and says serious problem, there will be no more, we are sorry, it's over.

ZAHN: Well, we'll be spending a lot of time with you before now and June to see if any of the evidence points to that happening with other cardinals.

William Bennett, as always, good to see you. BENNETT: It got me back to my catechism. I guess maybe that's one good thing.

ZAHN: I know. But I have to tell you, as you were doing your Latin, I was just remembering how horrible it was to get through my declensions. You brought back all those memories of eighth grade tension trying to understand that.

BENNETT: We could do that before seven on Mondays, if you want. You and I could review it together.

ZAHN: Entoureris mani intera (ph). That's about all I remember.

BENNETT: No, OK.

ZAHN: All right, Bill. A little refresher course needed for me. Take care.

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