Judy Valente reports from Chicago on two parishes: one where parishioners strongly approve of cracking down on abusers in general; another where a popular pastor has been removed, and parishioners are furious.
JUDY VALENTE: It's a festive morning at St. Josaphat Catholic Church on Chicago's north side. Father Dominic Grassi has just baptized little Ralph Porter.
But even in the midst of celebration, it is a sad time for many Catholics. The Chicago Archdiocese recently began removing priests from the ministry under the U. S. bishops' new policy regarding sexual misconduct. That policy applies to all abusers, including priests who had received treatment for past misconduct and had returned to ministry.
Here at St. Josaphat's -- a parish that has not been tainted by the scandal -- parishioners express strong support for the policy the bishops adopted last month in Dallas.
LITA PORTER: You can't just put up with this anymore. And now that this is out in the open I think it has to have a limit on it, that's it.VALENTE: Mrs. Porter is concerned about the safety of her newly baptized grandson and her 29 other grandchildren. She thinks priests should be removed for even one incident of misconduct.
(to Mrs. Porter): What if the priest didn't have any problems for 20 years, how would you feel about him being removed?
Mrs. PORTER: I'd feel very comfortable with that too.
VALENTE: You'd want that priest removed?
Mrs. PORTER: I'd feel better. And my grandchildren, I'm thinking of them.
Richard and Janna Ashbeck are also active members at St. Josaphat's and parents of three boys.JANA ASHBECK: I have to say I'd be uncomfortable having the priest here even if it was just 20 years ago. I don't think I'd want any allegations against a priest that's practicing in our parish around, you know, our children.
MIKE BISCAN: Priests involved in sexual abuse -- I'm all in favor of zero tolerance. They are given a very special responsibility, not just a general one. So my feeling is there should be zero tolerance on this issue.
VALENTE: But at Holy Angels Parish on Chicago's south side, parishioners want to keep their pastor, Father John Calicott, even though there are allegations of sexual misconduct in his past. The archdiocese maintains Father Calicott engaged in sexual misconduct with two teenage boys in the late 1970s.
Father Calicott denied the allegations but was removed from ministry in 1994, after a review board found the allegations to be credible. He spent a year and a half in treatment and was allowed to return to his parish by popular demand and under a monitor's watch. The archdiocese now says Father Calicott has to go under the bishops' new policy.Chancellor JIMMY LAGO (Archdiocese of Chicago): People in the parishes need to understand that as far as the archdiocese is concerned, those decisions were made with good information available at that time. They weren't -- this is not an attempt to scapegoat priests. It's not an attempt to get the monkey off the bishops' back.
VALENTE: But Holy Angels' parishioners are signing petitions protesting Father Calicott's ouster. Most say they believe their pastor is innocent. Even those who think it's possible the allegations are true, say Father Calicott should be forgiven. And, they point out, there have been no new allegations against the priest in all the years he's been monitored.
GLORIA DEAN: I've known Father from a number of years. I don't believe he's capable of it. I know how he is. He's a deeply spiritual man, He loves our children. He would do nothing to hurt them.VALENTE: Dean said she even sent her 15-year-old son on a recent camping trip with the priest.
It was okay when it was someone perhaps they didn't know and it was just an image of a pedophile or in most cases someone who engaged in misconduct with minors or older adolescents, now they're saying this priest who has counseled me or baptized my children -- they're seeing a more human side to this.
Father John Calicott has committed no sexual misconduct. He has committed no sexual abuse, he has committed no act of sexual molestation. He is not a risk to children now, not a risk to children in the future. He is not pedophile -- put any word in there you want -- it doesn't matter because it doesn't fit him and that's the truth. 
VALENTE: But the hurt is deep at Holy Angels, where parishioners feel Church leaders are ignoring them.
BETTY RUSIN: Parishes that lost priests -- there should be some counseling. There should be some open discussions for parishioners so that they can work through their grief.
