Two men who say they were abused by priests in Central New York decades ago - want the Pope to help them shake up Catholic leadership in Syracuse.

 

Kevin Braney and Charles Bailey don't believe survivors get enough local support. They're hoping to give the Pope a petition during his upcoming visit, calling for the removal of Bishop Robert Cunningham.

 

The men organized a community meeting on Monday, where about 70 people listened as they shared their stories.

 

Bailey said when he came forward several years ago, he was told by the bishop at the time, James Moynihan, that he was the first person to make an allegation against a specific priest. But, Bailey insists several others said they were told the same thing separately about the same priest.

 

Often, cases of sex abuse by priests don't lead to convictions because the statutes of limitation may have passed.

 

But, the men want the Syracuse diocese to publicly release the names of any priest in the area who has faced a complaint of abuse at any time, if the church determined it was credible.

 

"I have tried privately, and directly with Bishop Cunningham and his staff, for months to try and have these names released and I believe that if someone is not able to stand up and protect children - that he is not fit to lead," Braney said before the meeting.

 

Despite a petition for his removal, a spokesperson for the diocese says the bishop has not talked about resigning.

 

The push for signatures comes on the heels of a Post-Standard article detailing a deposition of Bishop Cunningham four years ago, when the Syracuse diocese was facing a lawsuit brought by another man who said he was a victim of abuse.

 

Though a different bishop was in charge of the diocese at the time that the man said he was abused, Cunningham was likely questioned by lawyers to establish the church's views.

 

According to the article, a lawyer asks if a child molested by a priest has committed a sin. At one point, Cunningham is quoted as saying, "Well, I mean, without knowing the circumstances completely, did the boy encourage, go along with (it) in any way?"

 

The report says Cunningham was also asked if a teen would be held responsible by the church, if a priest asks for sex. His reported response: "I would not - obviously, what the priest did was wrong....You're asking me if the young man had any culpability, and I can't judge that."

 

In a letter released on Sunday, the Bishop clarifies his position saying, "I cannot go back and change my words, but I can assure you that I did not believe the individual involved in the case was at fault."

 

Those carefully chosen words now, still carry little weight with the men hoping he'll resign.

 

"He just talks about the priests being wrong. It's not wrong - it's a felony crime. When I was raped, that's a felony crime," Bailey said.

 

Cunningham explained that the deposition questions varied, sometimes referring to specific cases, sometimes involving more general scenarios.

 

"I tried my best to answer questions and I must admit gave responses that I wish were different. It saddens me to read the article and to realize that my words give the wrongful impression to victims, their families and the people of the diocese that I believe victims of abuse are at fault. There is nothing further from the truth. Victims of abuse are never at fault."

 

Braney says he has gotten some support to cover a portion of counseling costs over the years. He wants 100% covered, not a designated number of minutes in therapy.

 

He feels - anything short of releasing the names of every priest who faced credible accusations in the past is equal to protecting child abusers who may still be living in the area. He's seen bishops in other cities agree to reveal names.

 

"I feel like it's insight into his (Bishop Cunningham) view of the world and his view of survivors and that makes me very sad," Braney adds.

 

He has asked supporters to visit change.org and sign a petition to remove Bishop Cunningham. That's what he hopes to share with the Pope somehow. He admits there's no backup plan if the mission fails.

 

While Cunningham did not address the status of priests who are no longer active in the diocese, he did offer a passage to defend local policies in his statement Sunday.

 

"Since 2002, we have established a a Diocesan Review Board made up of professionals who bring their skill set to assist in determining credibility of old allegations. Our diocesan policy mandates that all clergy, religious, employees and those volunteers whose ministry puts them in the presence of children complete a criminal background check and child and youth protection training. We also have an Office of Victim Assistance which serves as the point of contact for those who feel they have been harmed and serves as a liaison to assist in providing support for spiritual and emotional healing. It bears repeating from my other letters that there is no member of the clergy serving in the diocese who has a credible allegation of child sexual abuse."