10 Years On, Clergy Abuse Scandal Still Reverberates

10 Years On, Clergy Abuse Scandal Still Reverberates

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. Ten years ago this month, The Boston Globe published the first in a series of stories about the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests and systematic cover-up by the archdiocese of Boston.
The scandal shocked millions and proved to be just the beginning. It wasn't just Boston, and it wasn't just the U.S. Hundreds have now spoken out around the world. Their stories and their lawsuits forced the church to deal with an issue it kept under the rug for decades.
We'd like to hear from Catholics today, especially from those for whom this story is personal. After 10 years, what's changed? Our phone number, 800-989-8255. Email us, talk@npr.org. You can also join the conversation at our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION.
Later in the program, the false narrative of a debate on climate change, but first the sex abuse and cover-up scandal 10 years on. Reporter Michael Rezendes is part of an investigative team that won the Pulitzer Prize for The Boston Globe and joins us from a studio at that newspaper, and nice to have you with us today.

MICHAEL REZENDES: Pleasure to be here, Neal.
CONAN: And when you guys broke this story back in 2002, I wonder, did you know, or did you suspect that this story was so much bigger than that big story you already had?

REZENDES: Well no, we did not. I mean, first of all, not in our wildest dreams did we suspect that it was as big in Boston as it turned out to be. And I think all of us have been repeatedly thrown back on our heels as this story has spread throughout the country and indeed around the world. None of us foresaw how big this story really is.

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