By Jessica Fargen
Boston Herald
April 17, 2008
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1087709&srvc=rss
Amid rumblings that Benedict XVI may meet with clergy sex abuse victims during his inaugural U.S. trip this week - with no stop in Boston - some Hub Catholics marred by the abuse scandal have their own questions they'd like to ask the pontiff.
"They say he might want to talk," to victims, said David Carney, 41, of Scituate, who was abused by a priest as a teenager. "I shoot right from the hip. I'd tell him my whole story face to face if he wants to hear it."
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| Pope Benedict XVI waves from his motorcade on the way to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington yesterday. |
"Boy would I like to," meet him, added Maryetta Dussourd, a Jamaica Plain mom whose sons were abused by a priest in the 1970s, and who plans on following Benedict around New York City this weekend. "This pope has to know that words aren't good enough. Words will not do."
Former Vatican Ambassador Raymond Flynn told the Herald on Tuesday that he believes Benedict will meet with survivors, and clergy abuse advocates have heard rumors of such an occurence. No meeting has been confirmed.
Joelle Casteix, southwest regional director for Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests, worries that should Benedict meet with victims, that they would be "carefully chosen survivors" who haven't sued over abuse.
"It can't just be a symobolic act, it has to be true action," she said.
Some Hub Catholics have accused the Vatican and Benedict of sidestepping Boston, the epicenter of the clergy abuse crisis, but papal watchers say it has more to do with his age and more low-key style.
Even so, Alexa McPherson, a 33-year-old priest abuse victim, said she doubted a meeting with Benedict would be healing after what she had endured, even with the Holy Father's statement Tuesday that he was "deeply ashamed" by the priest scandal.
"I'd meet with him," said McPherson, a single mom who lives in Holbrook. "It's all fine and good that he's ashamed, but what is he doing to ensure it doesn't ever happen again.?"
Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston attorney who has represented hundreds of clergy abuse victims, said Benedict needs to do more than meet with victims. He needs to remove the notorious bishops and supervisors who knowingly shuffled pedophile priests from parish to parish, allowing abuse to continue for years.
"That would be getting to at least a part of the root of the problem, just remove the negligent supervisors," Garabedian said.
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