Skip to main content
U.K. Edition
Thursday, 28 March 2024

Bishop Scharfenberger explains why he believes abusive priests are part of church "family"

Credit: WKBW Buffalo
Duration: 03:56s 0 shares 1 views

Bishop Scharfenberger explains why he believes abusive priests are part of church 'family'
Bishop Scharfenberger explains why he believes abusive priests are part of church "family"

Bishop Scharfenberger explains why he believes abusive priests are part of the "family" of the church.

ALRIGHT THANKSEILEEN.WHAT DOESBANKRUPTCY MEANFOR THE SURVIVORSOF CLERGY SEXABUSE WHO ARE STILLSEARCHING FORJUSTICE?AS I-TEAM CHIEFINVESTIGATORCHARLIE SPECHTTELLS US --SETTLEMENTS WILLSTILL BE PAID... BUTTHE ANSWERS SOMANY OF THEM ARELOOKING FOR WILLLIKELY REMAINLOCKED AWAY INCHURCH ARCHIVES.BISHOP EDWARDSCHARFENBERGERFIRST APOLOGIZEDFOR -- AND THENDOUBLED DOWN ON --HIS SUPPORT OFABUSIVE PRIESTS,SAYING THEY ARESTILL PART OF WHATHE CALLS THECHURCH FAMILY.BISHOPSCHARFENBERGER:I REALLY CONSIDEREVERY SINGLEPERSON, INCLUDINGOUR PRIESTS WHO MAYHAVE ABUSED PEOPLEAS PART OF OURFAMILY THAT I'MRESPONSIBLE TO TAKECARE OF IN SOME WAY.REPORTER/SPECHT:I'M SORRY, DID YOUJUST SAY THAT THEABUSE OF PRIESTS AREPART OF THE FAMILY,AS YOU CALL IT?SCHARFENBERGER:THAT'S CORRECT.REPORTER/SPECHT:SO WHY WOULD ASURVIVOR WANT TO BEA PART OF A FAMILYWHERE THE FATHERFIGURE THE FAMILYINVITES CHILDMOLESTERS TO BEPART OF THE FAMILY?SCHARFENBERGER:WELL, FIRST OF ALL,CHARLIE, I ASSUMEYOU'RE REFERRING TOWHAT HAPPENED LASTMONDAY.ABUSE SURVIVORSWERE OUTRAGEDUPON LEARNINGSCHARFENBERGERLAST MONDAYCELEBRATED MASSWITH MULTIPLEPRIESTS THE DIOCESEADMITS HAVE BEENCREDIBLY ACCUSEDOF SEXUAL ABUSE.SCHARFENBERGER:IT'S SOMETHING THATWE DO TOGETHER WECELEBRATE MASS.

YOUKNOW, I THINK THEIDEA THAT THE MASS ISA REWARD FORVIRTUOUS BEHAVIOUR.YOU KNOW, THIS ISCHURCH OF SINNERS.AS FAR AS THAT MAN INTHE CROSS, THERE'SNOT A PERSON THAT IKNOW THAT HE DIDN'TDIE FOR.DECLARINGBANKRUPTCY ISANOTHER REASONABUSE SURVIVORSHAVE CLASHED WITHSCHARFENBERGER...THEY SAY THE FILINGWILL GIVE THEMMONEY, BUT NOTANSWERS.STEVEBOYD/ATTORNEY:WE DON'T GET TO HAVEOUR CLIENTS SIT IN AROOM WITH A BISHOPOR A PRIEST AND HAVETHEM QUESTIONAND THAT'S GOING TOBE TOUGH ON A LOT OFOUR CLIENTS, THEYWANTED THATTRANSPARENCY.BISHOP EDWARDSCHARFENBERGER INJANUARY SAID HEWOULD PROVIDEABUSE SURVIVORSWITH THE SECRETFILES OF THE PRIESTSWHO ABUSED THEM.SCHARFENBERGER/JAN.

2020:"YES, YES ABSOLUTELY.ABSOLUTELY.

IF ASURVIVOR PUTS THATQUESTION OUT AND ISINTERESTED SHOULDCOME FORWARD ANDWE'LL DO WHATEVERWE CAN TO BE TO LETTHAT PERSON KNOWWHAT THEY NEED TOKNOW AND WANT TOKNOW."BUT THE I-TEAM HASHEARD FROMMULTIPLE SURVIVORSWHO SAY STAFF ATTHE CATHOLICCENTER HAVE MADETHAT PROCESSDIFFICULT...EVENINFURIATING.GARYASTRIDGE/ABUSESURVIVOR:I CALLED JANUARY 14,JANUARY 15, ASKINGWHAT THE PROCESSWAS...JUST GOTVOICEMAIL, AND NEVERRETURNED RESPONSE.SO TO ME THAT IS ASURVIVOR THAT WASEXTREMELY INSULTINGNOT TO GET ANY KINDOF WORD BACKONE SURVIVOR SAYSEMPLOYEES CITED"LABOR LAWS ANDFEDERAL LAWS"AND SAID THERE WASNO PROCESS INPLACE...WHILEANOTHER WAS TOLDSHE WOULD HAVE TOMEET WITH SOMEONEFROM THEDIOCESE...ANDQUESTIONED ABOUTWHY SEEING THEFILES WOULD HELPHER..REPORTER/SPECHT:WHY CAN'T THEDIOCESE JUST TAKETHESE FILES THATTHAT APPLY TO THESEPRIESTS WHO ABUSETHESE PEOPLE ANDPUT THAT FILE ON AFLASH DRIVE AND SENDTO THE VICTIM?

WHYARE THEY MAKINGTHEM COME HERE INTOTHE DIOCESE ANDMAKING IT SO MUCHHARDER FOR THEMEMOTIONALLY?BISHOPSCHARFENBERGER:BECAUSE NOTEVERYBODY BECAUSEWE WANT TO MAKESURE THAT THEPEOPLE THAT HAVE ARIGHT TO THOSE FILESAND NEED TO SEE THATGET IT AND THAT THEYDON'T, THEY'RE NOTABUSED BY OTHERSWHO MAY HAVE OTHERINTERESTS IN USINGTHEM.

BECAUSE SOMEOF THOSE FILESCONTAINCONFIDENTIALINFORMATION THATWE'RE LEGALLYUNABLE TO RELEASE.BOYD SAYSBANKRUPTCY WILLPUT THE FOCUSWHERE THE CHURCHWANTS IT...ON MONEY,NOT ON THE ABUSE.STEVEBOYD/ATTORNEY:AND TURN IT INTO AFINANCIALTRANSACTION, AND IT'SNOT A VERY CHURCH-LIKE WAY TOAPOLOGIZE TO PEOPLETHAT YOU'VE HURT.KEEP IN MIND, THESEFILES COULD STILLCOME OUT AT THE ENDOF BANKRUPTCY.THEY COULD ALSOCOME OUT IN THECRIMINAL COURTS, IFSTATE OR FEDERALAUTHORITIES OBTAINSEARCH WARRANTSAND GO GET THEM.

You might like

Related news coverage

Advertisement