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Summary

THE VATICAN CONFERENCE ON THE SEX-ABUSE SCANDAL IN AMERICAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES.

Title: Pope
Description: THE VATICAN CONFERENCE ON THE SEX-ABUSE SCANDAL IN AMERICAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES.
Record ID 228056
Story Slug Vatican - meeting
Location Rome, Italy
Format PKG
Date 4/23/2002
Archive Time 50:51
TRT 2:19
Supers Rome, Italy R.D. Sahl, Reporting Bishop Wilton Gregory, US Conference of Bishops Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago Marco Politi, La Republica
Script LEAD: POPE JOHN PAUL HAS DELIVERED HIS HARSHEST STATEMENT YET ON THE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL PLAGUING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THE PONTIFF MADE THE STATEMENT AT THE START OF TUESDAY'S MEETINGS OF U-S CARDINALS AT THE VATICAN. THE QUESTION REMAINS WHETHER BOSTON'S BERNARD CARDINAL LAW WILL RESIGN. THAT WAS NOT ADDRESSED DURING TUESDAY'S MEETINGS. REPORTER R-D SAHL HAS MORE FROM ROME ON DETAILS OF TUESDAY'S DEVELOPMENTS. (TAKE PKG) SCRIPT: THE AMERICAN CARDINALS MET WITH THEIR VATICAN SUPERIORS IN THE ELEGANCE OF THE APOSTOLIC PALACE. UNDER THE FRESCOS, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE CRISIS THAT HAS OCCUPIED THE AMERICAN CHURCH FOR MONTHS...A CRISIS THAT HAS MOVED THIS WEEK TO THE TOP OF THE AGENDA AT THE VATICAN. (NATS-POPE TALKING IN ITALIAN) THE VOICE MAY HAVE BEEN WEAK, BUT THE LANGUAGE WAS STRONG, AS POPE JOHN PAUL CONDEMNED SEXUAL ABUSE AS A SIN AND A CRIME. HE SAID THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE PRIESTHOOD FOR THOSE WHO WOULD HARM THE YOUNG. HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE WRONG DECISIONS MADE BY BISHOPS IN REASSIGNING ABUSIVE PRIESTS TO PARISH WORK...EXACTLY WHAT BOSTON CARDINAL BERNARD LAW HAS APOLOGIZED FOR DOING. THAT CUTS TO A CRITICAL TASK FACING THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP. (SOT-GREGORY "We are fully aware that the focus is on the credibility of the bishops and our leadership.") GIVEN THAT FRAMEWORK, DOES THE VATICAN STILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN CARDINAL LAW? OR HAS HIS HANDLING OF THIS CRISIS MADE HIS CONTINUED LEADERSHIP IN BOSTON IMPOSSIBLE? THE CHURCH HIERARCHY MAY BE TALKING ABOUT IT PRIVATELY, BUT ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESMAN, IT WAS NOT DISCUSSED. (SOT-GEORGE "In the preliminary meeting of the U.S. Cardinals and Bishop Gregory and Bishops Gilstat, from our executive, he spoke to that. He started out saying that in a sense, if he had not made some terrible mistakes, we probably would not be here. And he apologized for that. He's facing it very clearly. He didn't speak about a possible resignation, and nobody asked him about it.") BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT CARDINAL LAW IS OFF THE HOOK. LONG-TIME VATICAN CORRESPONDENT MARCO POLITI, OF LA REPUBLICA, SAYS THE POPE IS VERY CLEAR THAT BISHOPS MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. (SOT-POLITI "Behind the scenes, certainly the position of Cardinal Law is very difficult because all the story goes around the supervision of a bishop and he has dramatically failed.") RECAP
Source CONUS Archive