Mainers react with hope, tears to bishops’ meeting

OLD ORCHARD BEACH – Claudette Gagnon cried while watching CNN at her home and hearing victims tell bishops gathering in Dallas of how they were abused by priests when they were young.

The accounts brought back painful memories of the parish priest who molested her son in Biddeford more than 20 years ago. But they also gave her optimism that church leaders will finally be moved to hold abusive priests accountable.

“I hope that after they’ve listened to all the survivors, that it will kind of wake them up,” Gagnon said Thursday. “I just hope that something good will come of this.”

A historic three-day U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops began with emotions and humble apologies as a television audience watched from around the country.

In Dallas, the contrite words came amid increased speculation that the church’s American leadership will act aggressively to protect children and restore the confidence of Catholic parishioners.

On Friday, bishops put forth a plan that would bar abusers from parish work, but fell short of the zero tolerance policy sought by some.

Under the plan, priests who molested children in the past or commit even a single act of abuse in the future would be ousted from the priesthood. Some abusers could voluntarily withdraw from active ministry and work in a monastery or some other restricted setting.

Portland Bishop Joseph Gerry and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Cote are among the 284 Catholic leaders attending the conference, which began with prayer in a vast ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel. The bishops, each in a black suit and Roman collar, sat in long rows behind white-clothed tables. They faced a stage where conference leaders sat at a table and spoke from a podium.

Abuse victims huddled in the hallway, and across the street protesters held signs, some of which called for the resignation of bishops who allowed abusive priests to stay in parishes.

Inside the ballroom, Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the conference, apologized to victims and the Catholic faithful for the crimes of some priests and the inaction of some bishops.

Abuse victims came forward and urged the bishops to protect children.

Back in Portland, Paul Kendrick, an organizer of a Maine chapter of Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic reform group created in response to the scandal, watched coverage of the conference on television.

He said the obvious pain of the victims cannot be dismissed.

“When we are in the presence of innocent suffering, as these bishops are today … it must be moving their hearts and minds,” he said.

In Old Orchard Beach, Claudette Gagnon said she is glad the church is finally listening to the victims.

Her son was abused when he was 15 and 16, and he later urged Bishop Gerry to remove the priest, the Rev. Michael Doucette. Doucette remained a parish pastor in Aroostook County until March, when Gerry issued a new policy of zero tolerance and Doucette was removed from his parish.

Under the Maine policy, any priest who has sexually abused a minor will be removed from active ministry, though he will remain a priest.

David Gagnon is following news reports of the conference from his home in Ottawa. He said Thursday he hopes the bishops will pledge to defrock any priest who abuses a child so that he won’t carry the authority of his collar.

But that would be just the first step, he said.

“They need new leadership in the church, people who can be trusted and are not tainted by the scandal,” Gagnon said. “It’s very hard to change a 2,000-year-old corporate structure.”