Bishop John McCormack appeared on WMUR Channel 9 last night. New Hampshire?s Catholic leader read from a prepared statement and answered questions, explaining his role in the sexual abuse scandal. And as NHPR?s Dan Gorenstein reports, the Catholic official presented an action plan.
Bishop John McCormack appeared on WMUR Channel 9 last night. New Hampshire?s Catholic leader read from a prepared statement and answered questions, explaining his role in the sexual abuse scandal. And as NHPR?s Dan Gorenstein reports, the Catholic official presented an action plan.
TAPE Here?s what I?m going to do- Never again
At his most energized, Bishop McCormack was detailing his plan to move the Church beyond the scandals. He talked about an open door policy for abuse victims, an independent mediation process, and promised a reexamination of Church policies.
But UNH Communications Professor Jim Farrell, who is behind a petition asking for the bishop?s resignation, said the Church should be above television apologies.
Tape: this should be something for politicians and Enron executives.
Despite his skepticism, Farrell acknowledges the Bishop had little choice.
1:01 he seems to be deeply implicated in the cover-up of abuse cases, everywhere you turn, Paul Shandley, John Gauegan, Paquin, Caughlin, all these cases are making headlines, and at the center of them all is Bishop John McCormack.
Devout Catholic Martin Marklin makes a living selling religious candles to the church. In last night?s McCormack interview, Marklin saw a man whose heart has changed.
5:45 he was also going back to, when he quoted what we say in the Catholic mass, forgive us for what we have done and not done. I think he admitted by that, there were things he did not do, which were wrong, and that had he the opportunity to go back, he would have changed them.
1:56 that?s a lame excuse
Jesus Guzman serves as the educational supervisor for Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Contookcook.
2:00 if the report that he read back in ?85 or in ?90 is the same as today, it?s the same info, why are you going to interpret it different then then you do today.
Guzman says maybe, if McCormack had voiced his statement earlier he the community could have accepted him as their leader. Now Guzman thinks different leadership is needed. But when asked during the WMUR, the Bishop made it clear he wants the job.
I think I can be an effective leader by addressing the matters I did in my talk. I think there are some who are angry what they have learned from the media. They have applied that to me. I have a better understanding of my involvement, how I want the church to be safe environment, if I go around and talk to people, I think I can earn their trust.
As a communications professor, Jim Farrell can?t help but pay attention to not only what is said, but how it?s said. And Farrell didn?t like what he heard.
7:08 when I heard the bishop talk about the events in the 80?s, when he talked about them, he consistently used the passive voice. In some cases where there wasn?t even a subject person. For instance:
McCormack tape (our process cloaked itself in confidentiality)
?Now why use this kind of language, except when you do, it takes out the person responsible. Processes don?t do anything to themselves. People make decisions. The Bishop made decisions?
To Farrell that suggests the Bishop remains unwilling to take responsibility for his actions. To candle maker Martin Marklin the performance came off a little canned and stiff. But as the father of four children, he recognized the victims of priest abuse, and children of the church are the ones burdened with forgiving and learning to trust again.
12:32 ? that it won?t ever happen again, but the sin is really moved past us. The question is how does the reconciliation take place? As we are a people who belkieve in a merciful god, and a forgiving god. And I think the question really becomes how do we in this human condition, which is flawed in its very nature, how are we going to bring this weakness together, and make it whole.
For NHPR News, I?m DG
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo