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CNN Saturday Morning News

Catholic Bishops Conference Adopts Policy on Sexual Abuse

Aired June 15, 2002 - 07:02   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: We're going to go live to Dallas now and the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference, which has adopted a new sexual abuse policy.

Our Jason Carroll has been following the story since the very beginning. He joins us live from there with more.

Good morning, Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Kyra.

After two days of debating, revisions, and some emotional moments, the U.S. Conference of Bishops finally passed and agreed on a national policy on dealing with allegations of sexual abuse.

Bishops say the policy is not perfect, but they say it will protect children. There are a number of victims out there who say this policy still does not go far enough.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The action item passes.

CARROLL (voice-over): After debate, revisions, and heartfelt words from victims, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops finally adopted a national policy on sexual abuse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This charter says to abusive priests or deacons, if you abuse a child, you will be stripped of your ministry forever. This charter says you do not deserve to present yourself as a priest. This charter says if you abuse a child, you will never be given another chance through our church to do it again.

CARROLL: The policy is a stronger version of the draft originally proposed last week. It closes a loophole that would have allowed one-time offenders to remain in the priesthood. Throughout the day, the bishops spoke of their concerns about the policy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I believe we have come to a standard not of zero tolerance but a standard of forgiveness? And I think what in some ways we have arrived at a standard of unforgiveness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need strong support of this document to begin to restore the credibility of the church and its moral authority.

CARROLL: The term "zero tolerance" not used, because the policy would allow some priests who voluntarily withdraw from ministry to stay under the watchful eye of the church, perhaps in a monastery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can split hairs, we can move priests to more remote locations. But we all know they cannot be monitored around the clock.

That person is still going to be a criminal, still going to be a child molester. He's still going to be a threat to children.

CARROLL: Another point under consideration, how will the Vatican respond to the policy? Clergy here saying they don't need Rome's approval.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I believe is happening, we complete this document, we all vote to approve it, it becomes what we do in the United States.

CARROLL: Enforcement of the policy still unclear, though it does call for the formation of a national lay review board, whose job it will be to monitor bishops. Its chair, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, promising to take a tough approach against clergy who protect priests accused of pedophilia.

GOV. FRANK KEATING (R), OKLAHOMA: Not only is that, I think, immoral, sinful, in the eyes of the church, but it is potentially criminal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: The policy also says allegations of abuse must be reported to civil authorities, but it doesn't specifically spell out when it should be reported to civil authorities, another reason why some victims are saying this policy still is not strong enough -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Our Jason Carroll. Thank you so much.

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