By Marian Dozier
Staff Writer

May 2, 2002

LAKE WORTH -- The 65 people who attended the third Diocese of Palm Beach "listening session" Wednesday night at Sacred Heart parish were the backbone of the Catholic Church -- lifelong believers, forgiving, faithful.

No one ranted, no sharp fingers jabbed the air with threats. But there was a clear-eyed, determined criticism in the fellowship hall, and people wanted answers. The Very Rev. James Murtagh, the apostolic administrator of the diocese, and psychotherapist Carolyn Razza conducted the meeting and tried to respond.

Murtagh told the audience he will take what he hears under advisement and use it in deliberations when the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops meets in June. The bishops are expected to devise a national policy in response to the crisis over sexual abuse with minors.

He said one local change he expects: more involvement of laity, especially women, at the decision-making level.

"That I think would be a good thing," Murtagh said.

It was mostly women who asked the sharp questions.

Why should we give money to the Bishop's Appeal?

Why didn't the diocese employ sophisticated background-checking tools used in the private sector instead of just relying on references?

We are faithful, but what do we tell our children and grandchildren, who already aren't?

They asked Murtagh whether the bishopless Diocese of Palm Beach would be represented at the bishops' meeting and if the church can guarantee the next bishop will be scandal-free.

It will, and it can't, Murtagh said.

Sue Girding of St. Joan of Arc in Boca Raton asked who was responsible for the financial support of the diocese's two disgraced bishops, J. Keith Symons and Anthony J. O'Connell, who have been in seclusion for years and months, respectively.

The diocese, Murtagh replied.

A man from Sacred Heart wanted to know: Why weren't parishioners told the real reason the Rev. Frank Flynn, stationed at Sacred Heart from 1991 to 1997, was removed from the parish and listed as retired in 1998? Flynn's right to act as a priest was revoked after the diocese determined he had had affairs with several women, Murtagh confirmed.

"Now, I loved the man, and I understand he loved the ladies. I can forgive him for that," the man said. "But why did they [church leaders] lie to me from the pulpit and tell me he had heart problems and that's why he was removed?

"Now, hell, I'm a grown man. You can tell me what I already know. He loved the ladies. Why did you lie to me?"

Murtagh said later the issue was confidentiality -- a need to protect the reputation of Flynn and his accusers.

But he made an admission.

"Heart problems, that was true, but not the whole truth, you're right. That's not the reason he was moved out," Murtagh said. "But it's not a cover-up. This was a case where he was accused and sent away for evaluation and treatment ... and the treatment didn't work. So he wasn't allowed to continue then."

Then Norma Robinson of St. Mark's in Boynton Beach took the microphone.

"This is the problem that has us all here," she said. "This man was a womanizer, there are priests who are transferred from place to place, and we don't know anything about their backgrounds ...

"And I think that is what hurts us so deeply."

From here on, Murtagh said, background inquiries will have "a lot more direct questions about lifestyle." Nevertheless, Murtagh made it clear, there is no way to ensure that a bishop or any priest has no skeletons in his closets.

"If there has been sexual abuse of minors, there's no way you're going to find out until it breaks [publicly]," he cautioned. "Very often these things come out late in the day ... I'm not going to pretend.

"But you have to be clear, you have to have policies in place and when the situation comes up, deal with it appropriately."

Emily Olson, a Sacred Heart parishioner, seemed to sum it up.

"I am very disheartened," she said. "I almost feel as if Jesus Christ is being crucified again. I just feel very overwhelmed ... I will defend my church until the end, but you can't deny what has happened. We have got to clean it up, and it won't be an easy task."

Marian Dozier can be reached at mdozier@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6643.