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CNN Sunday Morning
What Is Cardinal Law's Future?
Aired December 15, 2002 - 10:00 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: What is Cardinal Bernard Law's future now that he's resigned archbishop of Boston? Today, as Catholics gather for mass, the sex abuse scandal remains key concern for the church. CNN's Bill Delaney is following the story in Boston and Brian Cabell in Los Angeles.
Bill, let's begin with you in Boston.
BILL DELANEY, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Well, in Boston, outside Holy Cross Cathedral behind me here where for so many years, for the 18 years that he was archbishop here, Cardinal Bernard Law said mass most Sundays. It will be said by his successor today.
We're not sure where Cardinal Law is. He's believed to be in Massachusetts. He arrived back in the United States from Rome yesterday to Newark International Airport. But archbishop officials declining to say exactly where he is. The cardinal did make brief remarks yesterday, saying he plans to be in thought and prayer for some time and saying he holds no hatred in his heart for anyone.
Now, his successor, as I just referred to him, actually, that's not all that accurate. Auxiliary bishop now, episcopalic administrator, Bishop Richard Lennon now steps in to perform all the duties of Cardinal Law for the second several months. But in fact, he's not expected to ultimately be the successor as the archbishop of Boston. That will be worked out over the next several months between United States officials and of course, the Vatican as to who that successor will be.
Bishop Richard Lennon is expected to speak in the homily today about the ongoing crisis here, very much an on going crisis. You can't see it from our camera angle but -- well, maybe you can see one lone protester over there. We've got a smattering of protesters already out here. They have been gathering here for 10 months or more now. Most spectacularly, just in the past couple of weeks when the crowds here swelled to a couple of hundred. Unclear exactly what kind of crowds we'll have today. We'll be watching that mass at Holy Cross Cathedral. It begins in about an hour.
Now over to Brian Cabell, my colleague, in Los Angeles.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, as you know, the Los Angeles archdiocese is the largest in the country, some four million Catholics practice here. And the situation here in L.A. very similar to Boston and that's 16 priests current and former have been under investigation for some time. Now, six of them have actually been charged. Ten million dollars in settlements paid out as a result of these sex abuse cases.
As in Boston, the cardinal here, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, who's been in office for 17 years, has been the target of much of this criticism. He has been charged with tolerating the abuse or transferring priests about when they should have been kicked out of the priesthood and for -- of course, now, making the payments to them and -- to settle these cases. For his part, he says he has done the best over the last 17 years to tolerate the -- to not tolerate the sexual abuse.
In California, a very unusual situation in that the California legislature this last session passed a law, which extended the statute of limitations on child abuse cases against the church. And right now, at this point, when you're 26 years old, you can no longer make these charges of child sexual abuse. But for the next year, you will be able to -- a very unusual situation. The church considers it unfair, considers it unconstitutional and fears that it may lead to a flood of new cases.
Mass here expected to start in about an hour. Whether Cardinal Mahoney will actually be presiding, we don't know. We will be talking to parishioners throughout the morning. Back to you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Brian Cabell in Los Angeles and Bill Delaney in Boston talking about the ripple effect of Law's resignation.
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 15, 2002 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: What is Cardinal Bernard Law's future now that he's resigned archbishop of Boston? Today, as Catholics gather for mass, the sex abuse scandal remains key concern for the church. CNN's Bill Delaney is following the story in Boston and Brian Cabell in Los Angeles.
Bill, let's begin with you in Boston.
BILL DELANEY, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Well, in Boston, outside Holy Cross Cathedral behind me here where for so many years, for the 18 years that he was archbishop here, Cardinal Bernard Law said mass most Sundays. It will be said by his successor today.
We're not sure where Cardinal Law is. He's believed to be in Massachusetts. He arrived back in the United States from Rome yesterday to Newark International Airport. But archbishop officials declining to say exactly where he is. The cardinal did make brief remarks yesterday, saying he plans to be in thought and prayer for some time and saying he holds no hatred in his heart for anyone.
Now, his successor, as I just referred to him, actually, that's not all that accurate. Auxiliary bishop now, episcopalic administrator, Bishop Richard Lennon now steps in to perform all the duties of Cardinal Law for the second several months. But in fact, he's not expected to ultimately be the successor as the archbishop of Boston. That will be worked out over the next several months between United States officials and of course, the Vatican as to who that successor will be.
Bishop Richard Lennon is expected to speak in the homily today about the ongoing crisis here, very much an on going crisis. You can't see it from our camera angle but -- well, maybe you can see one lone protester over there. We've got a smattering of protesters already out here. They have been gathering here for 10 months or more now. Most spectacularly, just in the past couple of weeks when the crowds here swelled to a couple of hundred. Unclear exactly what kind of crowds we'll have today. We'll be watching that mass at Holy Cross Cathedral. It begins in about an hour.
Now over to Brian Cabell, my colleague, in Los Angeles.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, as you know, the Los Angeles archdiocese is the largest in the country, some four million Catholics practice here. And the situation here in L.A. very similar to Boston and that's 16 priests current and former have been under investigation for some time. Now, six of them have actually been charged. Ten million dollars in settlements paid out as a result of these sex abuse cases.
As in Boston, the cardinal here, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, who's been in office for 17 years, has been the target of much of this criticism. He has been charged with tolerating the abuse or transferring priests about when they should have been kicked out of the priesthood and for -- of course, now, making the payments to them and -- to settle these cases. For his part, he says he has done the best over the last 17 years to tolerate the -- to not tolerate the sexual abuse.
In California, a very unusual situation in that the California legislature this last session passed a law, which extended the statute of limitations on child abuse cases against the church. And right now, at this point, when you're 26 years old, you can no longer make these charges of child sexual abuse. But for the next year, you will be able to -- a very unusual situation. The church considers it unfair, considers it unconstitutional and fears that it may lead to a flood of new cases.
Mass here expected to start in about an hour. Whether Cardinal Mahoney will actually be presiding, we don't know. We will be talking to parishioners throughout the morning. Back to you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Brian Cabell in Los Angeles and Bill Delaney in Boston talking about the ripple effect of Law's resignation.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
