Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Raymond Flynn
Aired August 24, 2003 - 07:00 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: John Geoghan was strangled in prison by a fellow inmate. Geoghan was at the heart of the sexual abuse scandals in the Boston archdiocese and was in prison after being convicted of molesting a 10-year-old boy.
More than 130 people accused Geoghan of abuse during his tenure as a priest in six parishes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Geoghan case, and the cover up involved, is what really launched the Catholic clergy abuse crisis in this country. And his particular story has been a very long saga. Started back in 1997 when the first victims came forward here in Boston. Now this is a really tragic and very troubling end to this very long story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The Boston archdiocese issued this statement:
"Upon hearing the news of the tragic death of John Geoghan the Archdiocese of Boston offers prayers for the repose of John's soul and extends and prayers and consolation to his beloved sister, Kathy at this time of personal loss."
For more on the life and death of the former priest we turn to one of the most respected men in Massachusetts, Ambassador Raymond Flynn is the former mayor of Boston and a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. He joins us now from Boston.
Good morning to you sir, thank you for being with us.
AMB. RAYMOND FLYNN, FMR. U.S. AMBASSADOR, VATICAN: Good morning, Heidi.
COLLINS: Ambassador Flynn, I'm wondering, what was your reaction when you first heard this news?
FLYNN: Well, certainly like so many other people I thought it was a very tragic end to a very sad chapter for John Geoghan. It comes at a time when great progress is being made in the Archdiocese of Boston, attempting to settle justly a number of these cases and bringing -- putting the Church back on the right track. So this was really a sad -- a sad time for our Archdiocese of Boston. COLLINS: And you bring up an excellent point, a lot of work to be done by Archbishop O'Malley (ph), of course, newly instated in this position. What sort of impact, if any, will Geoghan's death have on those relations?
FLYNN: Well, I think a number of people, both victims and people on the Church side are very troubled by this situation, no matter how despicable the allegations of the crimes of John Geoghan had been involved in, nobody deserves to meet this kind of violent murder in a state-run prison.
But Heidi, the environment is so hostile that, you know, John Geoghan was a dead man walking, whether he was in prison or outside of prison because of what has been happening in Boston, the Archdiocese of Boston around this clergy sex-abuse scandal.
COLLINS: How so? What do you mean by that?
FLYNN: Well, the fact is that the reputations of -- even good, faithful loyal priests that we have in Boston, the Archdiocese of Boston, who have not been involved in anything are really embarrassed. People have turned on them; some people have turned on them. It is just a very unsettling situation.
And John Geoghan, of course, was charged with these crimes. He hasn't gone to court with them except for one incident that he's serving a six year jail term and is despicable, as I say, as these crimes are, the fact is that questions come up. Can anybody get a fair trial? Is anybody safe in prison? These are questions that I raised several months ago.
And I guess we just found out yesterday that's it's going to be very difficult to keep pedophiles in prison and protect them. I mean, here is a state-run prison in Massachusetts that is supposedly maximum security. And this man was openly strangled in the prison cell. What's that say about the system itself?
COLLINS: Certainly some questions to be investigated as this goes on over the next few weeks I'm sure.
Let me also, if we could for a moment, get back to the victims. You brought that up a moment ago and we have heard that some of the victims -- many of the victims, in fact -- do not and did not wish this fate upon John Geoghan. Others, though, saying that they certainly wish that he would have had to serve his entire sentence. What is your reaction to that?
FLYNN: Well, he was serving a six year sentence in prison right now and of course there were other cases that were -- charges that were brought against him, two other trials that would have come forward. I think most people would have felt, myself included, let's bring these cases to trial. Let's get it all out in the open and that's when the Church will really come together, will be united. That's exactly what Archbishop O'Malley has been doing, working with the victims, working cooperatively with the plaintiffs. And Heidi, it's real sad here, today in Boston, because of the fact that there was great progress. There was a level of respect between the victims and the Church. The situation was coming together and was really almost a sign of hope for the Catholic Church and this is a huge, huge, setback, this violent murder yesterday at a state-run prison.
COLLINS: Once again, as you say Archbishop O'Malley will have his work cut out for him, as if he did not already before this happened.
Thank you so very much...
FLYNN: He's a good man, Heidi. He's a good man. He'll do the job.
COLLINS: All right. We'll be watching indeed. Ambassador Raymond Flynn. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate your time.
FLYNN: Thank you, Heidi.
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 August 24, 2003 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: John Geoghan was strangled in prison by a fellow inmate. Geoghan was at the heart of the sexual abuse scandals in the Boston archdiocese and was in prison after being convicted of molesting a 10-year-old boy.
More than 130 people accused Geoghan of abuse during his tenure as a priest in six parishes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Geoghan case, and the cover up involved, is what really launched the Catholic clergy abuse crisis in this country. And his particular story has been a very long saga. Started back in 1997 when the first victims came forward here in Boston. Now this is a really tragic and very troubling end to this very long story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The Boston archdiocese issued this statement:
"Upon hearing the news of the tragic death of John Geoghan the Archdiocese of Boston offers prayers for the repose of John's soul and extends and prayers and consolation to his beloved sister, Kathy at this time of personal loss."
For more on the life and death of the former priest we turn to one of the most respected men in Massachusetts, Ambassador Raymond Flynn is the former mayor of Boston and a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. He joins us now from Boston.
Good morning to you sir, thank you for being with us.
AMB. RAYMOND FLYNN, FMR. U.S. AMBASSADOR, VATICAN: Good morning, Heidi.
COLLINS: Ambassador Flynn, I'm wondering, what was your reaction when you first heard this news?
FLYNN: Well, certainly like so many other people I thought it was a very tragic end to a very sad chapter for John Geoghan. It comes at a time when great progress is being made in the Archdiocese of Boston, attempting to settle justly a number of these cases and bringing -- putting the Church back on the right track. So this was really a sad -- a sad time for our Archdiocese of Boston. COLLINS: And you bring up an excellent point, a lot of work to be done by Archbishop O'Malley (ph), of course, newly instated in this position. What sort of impact, if any, will Geoghan's death have on those relations?
FLYNN: Well, I think a number of people, both victims and people on the Church side are very troubled by this situation, no matter how despicable the allegations of the crimes of John Geoghan had been involved in, nobody deserves to meet this kind of violent murder in a state-run prison.
But Heidi, the environment is so hostile that, you know, John Geoghan was a dead man walking, whether he was in prison or outside of prison because of what has been happening in Boston, the Archdiocese of Boston around this clergy sex-abuse scandal.
COLLINS: How so? What do you mean by that?
FLYNN: Well, the fact is that the reputations of -- even good, faithful loyal priests that we have in Boston, the Archdiocese of Boston, who have not been involved in anything are really embarrassed. People have turned on them; some people have turned on them. It is just a very unsettling situation.
And John Geoghan, of course, was charged with these crimes. He hasn't gone to court with them except for one incident that he's serving a six year jail term and is despicable, as I say, as these crimes are, the fact is that questions come up. Can anybody get a fair trial? Is anybody safe in prison? These are questions that I raised several months ago.
And I guess we just found out yesterday that's it's going to be very difficult to keep pedophiles in prison and protect them. I mean, here is a state-run prison in Massachusetts that is supposedly maximum security. And this man was openly strangled in the prison cell. What's that say about the system itself?
COLLINS: Certainly some questions to be investigated as this goes on over the next few weeks I'm sure.
Let me also, if we could for a moment, get back to the victims. You brought that up a moment ago and we have heard that some of the victims -- many of the victims, in fact -- do not and did not wish this fate upon John Geoghan. Others, though, saying that they certainly wish that he would have had to serve his entire sentence. What is your reaction to that?
FLYNN: Well, he was serving a six year sentence in prison right now and of course there were other cases that were -- charges that were brought against him, two other trials that would have come forward. I think most people would have felt, myself included, let's bring these cases to trial. Let's get it all out in the open and that's when the Church will really come together, will be united. That's exactly what Archbishop O'Malley has been doing, working with the victims, working cooperatively with the plaintiffs. And Heidi, it's real sad here, today in Boston, because of the fact that there was great progress. There was a level of respect between the victims and the Church. The situation was coming together and was really almost a sign of hope for the Catholic Church and this is a huge, huge, setback, this violent murder yesterday at a state-run prison.
COLLINS: Once again, as you say Archbishop O'Malley will have his work cut out for him, as if he did not already before this happened.
Thank you so very much...
FLYNN: He's a good man, Heidi. He's a good man. He'll do the job.
COLLINS: All right. We'll be watching indeed. Ambassador Raymond Flynn. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate your time.
FLYNN: Thank you, Heidi.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
