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NIGHTLINE Tonight: The Big Picture (Dallas Paper to Break BIG Story on Catholic Scandal!)
ABCNEWS | June 11, 2002 | Leroy Sievers

Posted on 06/11/2002 1:21:39 PM PDT by Timesink

Subject: NIGHTLINE: The Big Picture

TONIGHT'S SUBJECT: For months now, we've been reporting on the scandal rocking the Catholic Church. But for the most part, we talk about one case here, another there. But just how widespread is the problem? Tonight we'll have the results of an investigation done by our colleagues at the Dallas Morning News. The numbers are actually pretty shocking.

----

I'm sitting here, having a little trouble getting started. We have reported on this scandal several times so far. For the most part, the stories are fairly similar, the anguish of the victims, and their anger, and the response by the Church. But it is sort of like profiling each tree, one at a time, and not looking at the forest, to use an old metaphor. Just how widespread is this problem? If it were just one person here, and maybe another there, it might be easier to understand. But there has always been a feeling that this is a systemic problem, that underlying the individual stories that have come into the public eye, and those that have not, is some sort of widespread problem.

Some say the issue is celibacy. Others that the priesthood attracts those disposed towards children. Still others argue that the issue is homosexuality in the priesthood. And there are many other explanations. And they may all be partly true, and party false. But tonight we will address just how widespread this problem is. This week, the bishops are meeting in Dallas to debate a proposed policy to deal with priests who are accused of, or proven to be guilty of molestation. Many of the victims say the policy doesn't go far enough, that it is too lenient. But with the bishops and others beginning to arrive in Dallas today, our friends at the Dallas Morning News came to us with the results of an investigation they conducted. Their story will be in the paper tomorrow, and on their Web site tonight. They tried to track down every credible allegation. And the numbers they found are staggering.

Roughly two-thirds of the bishops have either been accused themselves, actually a relatively small number, or more commonly, are accused of covering up the actions of one of their priests. We'll be reporting on the details of what the Morning News found tonight, but clearly the numbers indicate that the problem is more than just the crimes of isolated individuals. So we'll have a report from ABC News correspondent Bill Blakemore from Dallas on the Morning News investigation, and a preview of what will happen later in the week. Ted will interview the bishop who headed the committee that wrote the proposed policy. But I think tonight's broadcast will make it clear that this is much more than a couple of isolated cases being given too much publicity. Something has gone terribly wrong.

Tuesday, June 11, 2002

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Nightline Offices
Washington, D.C.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: abc; abcnews; catholicchurch; catholiclist; catholics; churchscandal; nightline
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To: all
A message from Jim Robinson regarding the fundraiser!
81 posted on 06/11/2002 5:13:04 PM PDT by WIMom
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To: livius
Yes! Your point bears repeating:

"Supposedly, a Communist in the 1950s boasted that some 1,000 Communists (or fellow travelers) had been infiltrated into seminaries and religious orders. This may have been simple boasting, sort of like al Quaida's ravings, but even if the number wasn't 1,000, I'm sure they at least slipped in a few of them and left them in place for the future."

82 posted on 06/11/2002 5:14:30 PM PDT by Judith Anne
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To: livius
It was Bella Dodd ,who had been co=chairman of the Communist Party USA.She testified before the House Unamerican Activities Committee. She stated that the Communist Party had placed 1000 young men in the seminaries of Western Europe and the United States by 1941.
83 posted on 06/11/2002 5:32:56 PM PDT by saradippity
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To: Virginia-American
Secular priests may stay in a parish for 30 years; religious priests tend to be moved around every three years or so, but they can serve more than one term if the parish demands it. The Methodists also rotate their clergy, by the way.
84 posted on 06/11/2002 5:38:54 PM PDT by RobbyS
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To: RobbyS
Thanks
85 posted on 06/11/2002 5:40:20 PM PDT by Virginia-American
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To: saradippity
I had forgotten about these guys. Wonder how many made bishop?
86 posted on 06/11/2002 5:40:35 PM PDT by RobbyS
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To: Virginia-American
"A Catholic friend told me that the Church is rotating priests - they can't be in a parish more than eight years. Can anyone confirm / deny this? It sounds incredibly stupid to me. "

Yep, it's true in Philadelphia but it is not stupid. It is no different than corporations who rotate people through different types of responsibility. Actually it is a pretty good idea to prepare a pastor.

87 posted on 06/11/2002 5:49:55 PM PDT by ex-snook
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To: maryz
Yes, Hesburg. This was not a secret. It was put in the alumni magazine that the famous ND library building had one floor remodeled as an apartment for the retired president and another priest. He was president when I was there.
88 posted on 06/11/2002 6:01:06 PM PDT by Chemnitz
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To: Timesink
If the Catholic church reforms, I fear it will be of the John McCain variety.
89 posted on 06/11/2002 6:23:06 PM PDT by dr_who
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To: goldenstategirl
Interesting point. I noticed that The Washington Post has been very vigorous in pursuing this. Much more than they were interested in "getting to the bottom" of the rape and molestation charges against Bill Clinton.
90 posted on 06/11/2002 6:24:31 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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Comment #91 Removed by Moderator

To: LarryLied
Well, you notice that idea was third down the list...
92 posted on 06/11/2002 6:30:47 PM PDT by stands2reason
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Comment #93 Removed by Moderator

To: BlackElk
The fluffy pillows are probably easier on the teeth. If Nightline wants to know, they can ask Rembert.

So, Nightline is gonna maybe out a cardinal? Last I heard, Rembert Weakland was a cardinal. Oh yeah, that's right he don't count because he is a liberal. I reckon it is more substantial to out someone who has always been known as a conservative.

94 posted on 06/11/2002 6:37:04 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
Last I heard, Rembert Weakland was a cardinal.

Nope, Rembert isn't/wasn't a Cardinal..

95 posted on 06/11/2002 6:51:01 PM PDT by sockmonkey
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To: saradippity
Now, if it was only Communists infiltrating the Church, that might be manageable. [irony alert] Maybe they are using Manchurian queers as a fifth column to soften things up. Unfortunately, the Church has other, weirder, even more eccentrically bizarre enemies.

They want this cloning of embryos and population control culture.

96 posted on 06/11/2002 6:54:24 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Plummz
The Holy Bible is very clear on homosexuality, Cardinal or NO Cardinal.
97 posted on 06/11/2002 6:57:28 PM PDT by pollywog
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To: All
The first objective was the destruction of the home which has been successfully accomplished.

The second objective was to remove all teachings of God and morality from the schools.

The third is to destroy the Church. The Catholic Church being the largest and one of the staunchist against abortion, marxism and all the others has been the most time consuming to destroy. The first two only have taken about 50 years the last has taken a lot longer.

98 posted on 06/11/2002 7:02:15 PM PDT by pcpa
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
"Makes one wonder why someone with this in their closet would persist in the affrontery of pretending to be a priest. They like the dining priveleges, VIP cocktail parties, and fluffy pillows, one must assume."

Among other things. But I am beginning to suspect that these men have all been PLACED.

On top of that, I am also beginning to suspect that they are either A. so blackmailable that they will do anything they are told to do by their handlers, or B. they are stupidly doing a bunch of very illegal and foolishly blackamailable things in spite of the fact that if they get caught, it will mean their collars and their reputations, not to mention jail time for some.

What ELSE would make a (presumably) sane man risk his entire religious life for the sake of a little underage stuff?

This is almost incomprehensible. Did these men believe they would NEVER be caught or held accountable? Did their lusts so powerfully override their Holy Orders that they risked everything for illicit SEX?? For SEX?? With boys? Is this perversion/addiction this overwhelmingly powerful? What am I missing here?

These guys either deliberately, knowingly, and maliciously molested these young men because they are utterly evil and UNFIT for the priesthood from the very beginning, or they are being used as tools to subvert and undermine the hierarchy in an organized move to take over the Church from the inside. Something isn't making any sense...

99 posted on 06/11/2002 7:04:17 PM PDT by redhead
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To: dr_who
If the Catholic church reforms, I fear it will be of the John McCain variety.

So all the priests will marry rich women with drug habits?

100 posted on 06/11/2002 7:09:04 PM PDT by ladyjane
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