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CNN Saturday Morning News

Church Official Disputes Reports Law Will Be Sent to Vatican

Aired April 27, 2002 - 08:21   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Developments now in the priest sex abuse scandal. A Catholic Church official disputes a report that Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law will be replaced. The "Boston Herald" quotes unnamed sources as saying Cardinal Law will be sent to the Vatican by June. The president of the Catholic University says Law is staying at his post.

Law is at the center of the scandal that has greatly damaged the image of the Catholic Church.

As CNN's Jason Carroll reports, Catholic Charities are feeling the impact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The annual cardinals dinner is an important part of raising money for the Catholic University of America. But now there are questions how effective the university's chairman, Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law, can be at raising money. Law has acknowledged he's a lightning rod for the church's sex abuse scandal. Some donors don't want their dollars to help pay off lawsuits involving accused priests. Others simply refuse to send checks unless Law resigns.

Already, the cardinals' annual garden party, a major fund-raiser at the Archdiocese of Boston, canceled this year. Donations to Catholic Charities, the state's largest private social service agency, down 10 percent.

MAUREEN MARCH, CATHOLIC CHARITIES: And we've seen a drop in donations. We've had a drop in our foundation and corporate grants in the past several weeks because we're a Catholic organization.

CARROLL: The church is having problems bringing major donors like Edward Ricci back into the fold. He's been a church fund-raiser for 30 years.

EDWARD RICCI, DONOR: This is a scandal that involves sex, money and power. The sex is out of control. That we know. The power they have. They won't give it up. The only recourse that the Catholic layman and laywoman has is to withhold financial contributions.

CARROLL: The fallout from the financial backlash is being felt at places like this community center in South Boston. Donations keep the day care center open.

SISTER MARYADELE ROBINSON, DIRECTOR, LABOURE CENTER: The impact on us is that we have to reduce staff. We have to therefore reduce services and fewer people are then helped.

CARROLL: Sister Maryadele Robinson says it's a message that may be getting lost in a scandal with no clear ending in sight.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.

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