tonight, new questions are being raised about a power struggle inside the vatican, and the surprising role pope benedict may have played. >>> plus, apple magic. ipad mania has gripped the globe, and all eyes are scarily on the next big thing. tonight, we get an exclusive sneak peek. so, is apple the smartest company in america? >>> and, the palin effect. where she goes, crowds and controversy often follow. and soon, cameras will, too. from fox to discovery, sarah palin is everywhere. is this a new path to the white house? >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, martin bashir and cynthia mcfadden in new york city, this is "nightline," march 31st, 2010. >> good evening. we begin tonight with renewed controversy facing the catholic church. no pope has resigned his position since the 15th century. but if some critics have their way, that's exactly what the pope would do. this holy week has seen him defending the vatican and himself against allegations that he knew about and failed to act on sexual abuse by priests years ago. but in one major scandal, his rol

europe's shame has hit this city, and its many vatican- connected institutions, hard. >> it's been a very difficult and painful time. >> warner: monsignor roderick strange runs pontifical beda college, which trains older men for the priesthood. >> having to talk about this issue, even my circumstances, you can feel as if it were sucked into a swamp. we are all tarnished by this. >> warner: on the surface, life at beda appears to follow the usual pattern. but new admittees are much more rigorously screened, and trained strange offers insight into the attitudes that used to prevail among bishops accused of protecting priests over children. >> perhaps he was told, "yes, this man has done wrong, but we all commit sins," and he says he's really sorry and so it was safe to send him back to work. >> warner: but he is critical of the vatican's handling of the issue today: >> it would have been better if the vatican had, so to speak, got ahead of the game because the whole issue is so emotional. the important thing is to say you're sorry and to on saying you're sorry. >> warner: instead, it's

from the vatican suggest a change in policy. >> the vatican is saying to the whole church, wherever it is, you have to make sure that the civil authorities are brought in at the earliest stage. there is no excuse anymore for dealing with anything behind closed doors. >> the pope's own at spokesman told catholic churches today that the only way they would regain trust was to end the secrecy and report all abuse to the police. this person who was assaulted by a priest as a child said the vatican cannot solve the crisis without addressing past abuse. >> to talk about offering moral support and meeting victims, but what the catholic church tends to do is not heal them. >> a few days ago, the pope's deputy told him to ignore idle gossip. it seems from the dramatic change in tone that the vatican finally realizes the fight all churches are in. >>> rescuers have pulled more bodies from a collapsed hillside in rio de janeiro. the death toll has risen to 256. emergency workers are abandoning hope of finding any survivors from the disaster caused by the heaviest rain in four decades. >>> anti-go

the vatican insists the pope is simply a victim of a smear campaign. some catholics are now demanding the pope reveal what he knew and when. meanwhile, the vatican announced today the pope is willing to have meetings with more abuse victims to "help them seek peace." ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles >> couric: meanwhile, in west virginia, hope is turning to despair. the fate of four missing miners remains uncertain tonight as once again dangerous conditions inside the mine forced rescue teams to turn back. national correspondent jim axelrod is in montcoal, west virginia. jim, it's been more than four days since this explosion. where does the rescue operation stand now? >> reporter: katie, for the third time in two days rescue teams are back inside the mine, although it is clear to say with every passing hour chances grow slimmer for a miracle in west virginia. the funerals started today in west virginia. 61-year-old benny willingham was among the first laid to rest. his army buddies flew here from california to say good-bye. they used to ask their pal

i talked to the lawyer for the vatican in the u.s.today, jeffrey lynna and he said, you know, that is a fundamental misunderstanding of the power relationship between the pope and the bishops on administrative matters. whatever the truth, wherever the truth lies on that, i did speak to the pope's spokesman and in terms of just explaining to the public what it means, i asked him well why did the pope say what he said on wednesday which was much ballyhooed in the united states as a major step forward. and he said oh, well, the pope always reports on his recent trips and he was reporting on his trip to malta. so so far it's fair to say the vatican has not expanded on what the pope meant or what he intends. >> and just briefly, margaret, what about, it's early in your visit, but what about the atmosphere, do you get the sense from people you talked to that they feel embattled? how emotionally charged is it. >> they feel very embattled. we went today to a press conference for lawyers for some abuse victims here in a parish church in rome w

the vatican denies any wrong doing, but some clergy worry the defensive and defiant tone of the vatican could hurt the institution and turn people away. >> are walking away from the church in droves and the vatican is in denial about this. >> reporter: this letter from 1963 was among several hundred pages of documentation given to the ap by attorneys for california clergy abuse victims. the documents were first made public last year after attorneys pursuing clergy abuse claims in los angeles had them unsealed. >>> topping our look at news around the nation: surveillance video shows a tennessee couple walking up to an suv, breaking in and taking out the radio. that seems like a run of the mill crime until you see the video closely. a boy and girl under the age of 12 watched the crime happen right in front of them. police have arrested the couple. >>> what are the chances? how many games have you gone to see your son or daughter play and have this happen to you? denard span hits a foul ball and sees it hit his mom right in the chest. she was treated, came back, sat in the stands. denard w

. >> ifill: then, margaret warner looks at vatican pushback and u.s. reaction to the latest controversies roiling the catholic church. >> brown: and two technology stories. we explore apple's new i-pad and the future of personal computing. >> ifill: and spencer michels reports on the tech downturn in a place that once led the charge. silicon valley may be losing its edge. that could affect not only california but the nation. >> brown: plus, we preview a new documentary uncovering the lost stories of arabs helping jews during the holocaust. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: chevron. this is the power of human energy. the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: a wave of vio

the vatican responded with a long statement from the cardinal lavada. an american. i'm not proud of the prepare of regard. editorial and article are deficient by any reasonable standards of fairness that americaners have every right and expectation to find in the media report. i asked the times to reconsider the attack mode against pope the 16th and give the world a more balanced view of a leader it can and should count on on maureen dowd, entitled should there be an inquisition for the pope m? an article in the news week called the bad shepherd. all right, cal. did the new york times, did news week, did maureen dowd, did this go too far? >> they weren't the only catholics writing about this. peggy noonen in saturday's wall street journal she praised the new york times in this case and some others, the immediate kra do a good job of forcing the catholic church, political or religious to confront some of its inner darkness. i thought larry goodstein's piece was well researched and this is in a newspaper openly hostile to what the catholic church stands for. it's a pr

now the vatican's attorney in the united states in a statement tonight says that the vatican has cooperated with american law enforcement officials and he further says that the vatican recommended that father paul be defrocked however, his bishop in india refused to do so. brian. >> ann thompson reporting from rome. >>> a u.s. consulate in northwest pakistan was the target of at least two suicide bombings today. vehicles packed with explosives killed at least four people. they detonated at security checkpoints after failing to breach the fortified come pound. secretary of state hillary clinton says she was "outraged and deeply saddened by the attack." >>> when our broadcast continues on a monday night, the new challenge for the people of haiti, already living on the edge after that huge earthquake. killers from indiana pull it off one more time in the big game? get the facts at remax.com. it's a great place to see all the listings in thousands of cities and towns. with tax credits for buyers, low interest rates and down-to-earth prices, the dream of owning a home seems more attainable than

at the vatican, the pope told pilgrims in st. peter's square the church planned to take action in the face of allegations of abusive priests and negligent bishops. he did not elaborate, but soon afterward the vatican accepted the resignations of bishops in ireland and belgium because of the scandal. last weekend, during a visit to malta, benedict met privately with victims of clerical sex abuse and, with them, he prayed and wept. the continuing crisis in the church has left millions of american catholics sad, angry, and wondering what can be done to resolve it. we want to talk about that with margaret steinfels, former editor in chief of "commonweal" magazine, now co-director of the center on religion and culture at fordham university. she joins us from new york how do you describe the range of reactions among the u.s. catholic laity? >> i think that many people are

vatican. he is fighting the tide of criticism that has now touched the pope himself. >> even as new revelations surfaced in the catholic church, distant and austria,he vatican is pushing back. an article on the vatican website criticizes reports that the cardinal was to blame for the lack of action taken with regard to a priest in milwaukee, a priest accused of molesting hundreds of death was over three decades. one part of credit benedict for the current treatment of pedophile cases in the church today. >> i think the father and his money away some politicians do in spreading it liberally to buy support for himself and a religious order. >> benedict was pressured not to investigate but eventually went ahead anyway in defiance of the vatican. he bro>> he broke ranks with the pope and ordered an investigation of the priest that my questions remain over benedict's handling of the murphy case. >> what did he know and when did he know it? and what did he do about it? >> these are questions that th

>> reporter: the new report says one vatican official to reject maciel's payments was cardinal joseph ratzinger, now the pope. he was in charge of investigating in 2002 and became upset when abc news asked him about what had been a four-year delair, slapping my hand. >> come to me -- >> reporter: excuse me. >> when the moment is given. not yet. >> reporter: according to the new report, ratzinger had been blocked from going after maciel by the then vatican secretary of state, anglo sodano. >> it's clear that john paul ii did not want to investigate maciel, and sodano was clearly the man who enforced that message to ratzinger. >> reporter: once cardinal ratzinger became pope benedict in 2005, he moved against father maciel and forced him into retirement, though he did not defrock him, strip him of his priestly powers. as for a comment on these new allegations, a vatican official said only that the pope is now awaiting the results of a report from five bishops who have been investigating all of maciel's activities around the world, including how he was able to get away with his secret do

the vatican believes the pope has no case to answer. he is part of the cleanup, not the cover-up. >> the pace of diplomacy is intensifying and so is the pressure on iran. the u.s. president would like to enlist a unified international community to stop iranian nuclear ambitions. he was speaking in an interview after a rare one hour phone call with the chinese president, hu jintao. >> he is trying to win chinese support for tougher sanctions. >> president barack obama made clear to iran that the pressure will continue. >> we don't take any options off the table and we will continue to increase the pressure and examine how they respond. we will do so with a unified international community. >> the tough words are not new but washington has new reasons to sound confident in its desire>> we see a growing awareness on the part of many countries including china as to the consequences of a nuclear armed iran to regional and global stability and to the oil supply. we think that there will be a consensus reached as to the best way forward. >> sen

in vatican city, many waited in long lines to attend service. lifelong catholics expressed frustration with the pope. >> i think he should be more proactive and send a stronger message about how the church can make retribution for these things. >> this man says this is taking a serious toll on his own ministry. >> it affects the work i tried to do as a teacher, preacher, and evangelist. my work is undermined all of the time now. >> this is a chance to deal with this issue once and for all. in doing so, they can strengthen the priesthood. nbc news, rome. >> stay with us. 11 fitness is coming up next. here's a look at the winning lottery numbers first. >> welcome back. it is time for 11 news fitness. three ways to build a strong in tight midsection. >> good morning. i wanted send best wishes to my friend and colleague that had surgery. get well soon. we want to talk about of the domino strengthening today. -- abdominal strengthening today. i read an article that a janet jackson did 5000 steps and night. but who has that kind of time? i would rathe

what is the vatican worth, like $500 billion? this is great.n, take a big chunk of that money, build a gorgeous condominium for you and all of your friends to live in, all the amenities, swimming pool, tennis court, water slide. and with the money left over, feed the whole [ muted ] world. >> larry: what response did you get from that? >> larry: what response did you get from that? >> you know, there were people that were upset and they felt like it was an attack, an attack of the catholic church by a jew. and i mean, larry, i'm not jewish by -- i have no religion. i'm just jewish in the way that it oozes out of my pores uncontrollably. it's beyond my control, but personally, i have no religion. i wasn't -- i wasn't putting down the catholic church as a jew. i was acknowledging that the vatican has unbelievable riches and resources that if, you know, jesus went into a whole tizzy for people selling their wares in a temple, can you imagine how crazy he would go if he saw the vatican and the riches and wealth of the vatican in comparison to the h

. >>> pope benedict xvi lead holy thursday observances today at the vatican. pontiff made no mention of the sexual abuse scandals swirling around the catholic church. other church officials are speaking out on his behalf fighting a tide of criticism that has now touched the pope himself. >> reporter: even as new revenuelations of abuse within the catholic church have arisen, this time in austria, the vatican is pushing back. an article posted on the vatican website criticizes reports that the cardinal was to blame of a priest accused of molesting hundreds of deaf boys over three decades. the cardinal credits benedict 2j/ the church's profile on the stance, a favorite of pope john paul ii m%:Ñhe was an accused pedophile. >> i think he used money the way some politicians do in spreading it to buy support for himself and his religious order. >> reporter: benedict was pressured not to investigate but went ahead any way in defiance of the vatican. >> he broke ranks and ordered an investigation. >> reporter: still, questions remain over benedict's handling of the m

the vatican has forcefully denied that and other accusations. and on wednesday, a top vatican official, cardinal william levada, posted a lengthy defense online and attacked "the new york times," which has broken several of the recent stories. but another american theologian, father richard mcbrien of notre dame, said the pope must answer the allegations. >> this controversy will not be put to rest until the pope himself gives the answer to the question, the famous question that senator howard baker asked in the watergate hearings many years ago: "what did he know, and when did he know it?" and a third question-- "and what did he do about it?" >> holman: and in germany today, archbishop robert zollitsch, who heads that country's roman catholic bishops, complained of a "wrongly intended desire to protect the church's reputation." for his part, the 82-year-old pontiff, who appeared at today's good friday observances, did not address any issues relating to the sexual abuse allegations. afghan president hamid karzai moved today to calm a dispute wit

and many say it's the vatican trying to evade responsibility again. as vet can officials point the -- vatican officials point the finger at the media >> they have a whole range of excuses. it's really no problem. the media has caused the problem, now it's a sexual thing causing this problem. >> reporter: in another effort to calm critics today the vatican posted rules on its web site for how clergy should handle sex abuse allegations. among them, contact the police immediately. >> the pope wants that these priests are punished, are removed, and are brought before state court. >> reporter: but the anger is clearly rising within the church. in his sunday sermon this week father james skahill of massachusetts called for the pope to resign. >> the pope should step down if he's not prepared to embrace the truth relative to this matter. >> reporter: while the papal public relations campaign may be rocky thus far the vatican secretary of state has said that the pope will soon be taking "surprising steps to deal with this crisis." he did not, however, say wha

the plaintiff said he wrote two letters to the vatican, reporting the abuse and asking for help. the lawsuit suggests the vatican didn't discipline murphy because he made a lot of money through fundraising for the church. >>> seeking the relief of controversial vatican files on clergy abuse operations. >>> baltimore area catholics are gathered at the cathedral of mary our queen, to honor -- mary our queen, to honor the life of archbishop borders. the public viewing continues today until 9:00. it continues tomorrow, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. the mass and christian burial will be tomorrow. he died at the age of 96. >>> there is heated testimony today from baltimore grocers and beverage companies. suzanne collins has more on the tax designed to overcome the big budget deficit. >> reporter: mayor rawlings- blake sees this as a way to raise revenue. but she is hearing from the companies that make and sell bottled soda, water and beer. >> reporter: a can of cola will cost 4 cents more, if the city approves a beverage container tax. and it's brought big opposition. >> the timing could not

. >>> this is holy thursday at the vatican today, pope benedict celebrated mass. he was surrounded by the faithful and while he did not mention it today, he is also now surrounded by a growing scandal during the holiest week of the calendar for christians. our own anne thomson has our report tonight from rome. >> reporter: today's washing of the feet by pope benedict, the ancient rite of humility contrasts with the strong words in his defense from vatican officials. >> he's a witness of clarity of the season of transparency in all the problem of the sexual abuses. >> reporter: cardinal william levada accused "the new york times" of unfairness in its reporting about what the pope, then cardinal joseph ratzinger knew about two cases of pedophile priests. inferring responsibility to the pope when levada says decisions were made by others. "i ask "the times" to reconsider its attack mode about pope benedict xvi and give the world a more balanced view of the leader it can and should count on." "the times" stands by its reporting. in vienna, a cardinal led the service f

in vatican city, the faithful waited in long lines to attend a service, but even life-long catholics expressed frustration with the pope. >> i think the pope could be more proactive and send a stronger message about how the church can make retribution for the abuses that have happened. ♪ i know your hearts are torn and frayed ♪ >> reporter: outside washington, d.c., cathedral, a small group of protestors kept what they called a vigil of sorrows. the burd of the scandal is carried by rank and file priests. father robert barren writing a book in rome says the crisis takes a serious toll on his own ministry. >> it undermines the work of the church in almost every way. the work i try to do, my work is undermined all the time by this scandal. >> reporter: priests i have talked to see this scandal as an opportunity, a chance to deal with this issue once and for all. and in doing so, strengthen the priesthood. brian? >> anne thompson on this good friday night in rome. thanks. >>> back at home tonight, an update on the historic flooding that left parts of southern new england under water thi

does the vatican know how deep the trouble it's in? new poll out that shows the pope, you don't usually poll the pope. but he's down 20 points among everybody. your thoughts? their thoughts? >> yeah, and it's not -- it's not just in the united states. they're seeing similar declines in germany. yes, does the vatican understand that this is a big serious issue? absolutely. does it respond in the way that we are used to having political organizations respond? or multinational corporations respond to a crisis? the answer is, absolutely not. you've got 0 remember, that this is a big bureaucracy. and italian-dominated bureaucracy. and it moves extraordinarily slowly. but i will tell you, chris, that if the vatican were to put out talking points, the first one would be this -- because i have heard this from everyone i have talked to here in vatican city since i arrived over the weekend. and that is -- that pope benedict xvi is the right man to handle this crisis. why, you ask? because they say as the head of the congregation of the doctrine

why was the vatican not more prepared? why is this a surprise? >> i think there are two things involved in the current media attention. i think one is the situation in ireland. where the report on the archdiocese of dublin triggered a lot of attention not only in ireland but in europe then i think throughout the world. the second frankly i think is a certain media bias. i don't want to scapegoat anybody or have a conspiracy theory but i do think that the american media in particular has been... the question has been driven by information given by the plaintiffs' attorneys who are looking for ways to involve the pope somehow in a court process or something like that. i think that's bound to be futile. nevertheless i think that has driven a fair amount of the media coverage if i may say so. >> warner: do you think some of the media are out to get the pope or the church? >> the media likes a good story but i think that by reasonable standards i think they have not been fair in giving a balanced picture in context. >> warner: what is that picture? wh

. >>> the vatican made another move to try to get ahead of the child abuse scandal. an acknowledgement that priests who commit such acts should be accountable under the law. the story from ann thompson. >> reporter: the church states for the first time that every case by sexual abuse by priest should be reported by police anywhere in the world. something u.s. church officials have had to do since 2002. the guidelines require local diocese to investigate every allegation of sexual abuse of a minor by a cleric. in cases where a priest has been convicted of sexual abuse of a minor or the evidence is overwhelming, the case can be taken directly to the pope and he can dismiss the priest. the vatican says reporting crimes to the police has been its internal policy since 2003. but now it is clearly bowing to pressure says this papal biographer. >> they must be quick in answering the issues, to be very transparent in his policy and also to give exact figures. >> reporter: the vatican has been under siege as charges of sexual abuse by clergy swept europe in recent weeks. call

the vatican newspaper paid tribute to the band on the 40th anniversary of its breakup. the vatican says it's true the band took drug, lived dissole lat lives and claimed they were more families than jesus, but listening to their songs, all of that seems very distant. >>> another cbs "moneywatch," there was profit taking in asia this morning and emily smith is here in new york with that and more. emily, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. well, most asian markets fell came on concerns the global economic recovery may not be able to hold. the nikkei lost about 1%. today wall street gets an earnings report from chip maker intel. monday the dow gainedle points to close above 11,000 for the first time in a year and a half. the nasdaq was up 3 and change. a bill to restore benefits to the long term unemployed 45s advanced in the senate after several republicans joined democrats to end a filibuster. both parties blame each other for allowing the program tos lapse last week. unless it passes, about a million americans will lose their benefits this month alone. >>> presiden

the vatican newspaper is addressing the controversy. a vile defamation campaign against him. karen brown, wjz eyewitness news. >>> pope benedict has not made any explicit reference to the scandal since march 20th when he released a letter to the irish faithful considering the abuse crisis in that country. >> in maryland news, police make an arrest in the city's first homicide of the year. 32-year-old kim daifsd was found stabbed to death friday afternoon. police say 38-year-old raidine lee faces first and second- degree murder charges in her death. they do believe this was a random crime. >>> in baltimore city, police are investigating a saturday morning shooting. it happened at the intersection of manchester, edgemere avenues in park heights. police say a man suffered a gunshot wound and was rushed to the hospital at last check, the victim was in serious condition. detectives have not released any information on a possible suspect. >>> the pentagon station is reopen following a bomb threat and suspicious package. officials say the stat

. >>> plus, the vatican is taking on sex abuse in the church. stay with us.  >>> some parents spank their kids to teach them right from wrong, but a new study shows that could backfire. they looked at data on 2500 children. the research found those who are spanked more frequently at 3 years old were more likely to be aggressive at 5 years old. it is strong predictor of future aggressive behavior. >>> hospitals are cracking down on hand washing. they're using sensors. we report. >> reporter: nurses and doctors at the university of florida medical center are getting warned if they get to close to patients without washing their hands. they must wear electronic badges warning if they don't sanitize. >> it really made you more conscious of how often we don't wash our hands. the little buzz to remind you when you walk in. >> reporter: the system detects soap and hand gels. not enough sanitizer and the system buzzes until that person washes thoroughly gets a green light and then -- cares for the patient. >> i think it probably brings

in vatican city, many waited in long lines to attend service. lifelong catholics expressed frustration with the pulp. >> i think he should be more proactive and send a stronger message about how the church can make retribution for these things. >> this man says this is taking a serious toll on his own ministry. >> it affects the work i tried to do as a teacher, preacher, and evangelist. >> this is a chance to deal with this issue once and for all. in doing so, they can strengthen the priesthood. nbc news, rome. >> coming up, the n.c.a.a. is facing a lawsuit this morning brought on by a former basketball player. >> some say they make millions of dollars that they never say. more on that next. >> sad news for the baltimore orioles as they lose one of their links to the past, one of the hall of famers and one of their ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] irresistible crescent rolls. "hoo hoo!" [ female announcer ] only from pillsbury ♪ ¿por que no probamos esto? [ male announcer ] old el paso. a special blend of seasoning for especially delicious tacos. feed y

vatican has distanced itself from those comments.in vatican city today, life-long catholics expressed their frustration. >> i think the pope could be more proactive and send a stronger message about how the church can make retribution. >> all around the world, special prayer services are being offered during holy week to recognize the victims of the sex scandal. >>> one of those took place here in the district today. victims of abuse, their families and supporters gathered outside . matthew's church in northwest d.c. the arch diocese of washington instituted background checks. >> veronica is here with more on our weekend weather forecast. we want all the juicy details. >> i know. you want more of what we gist had, right? yeah. through the easter break, we are going to have relaxing, no-fuss type weather across the area let's start here now with some weather video for you. the tidal basin, of course. cherry blossoms there hanging over the water. keep in mind tomorrow night it's going to be busy down there, too. it's the fireworks. the

. >>> yesterday at the vatican's embassy, pope benedict met and prayed with a group of eight men who say they were sex abuse victims. according to a statement from the vatican, pope benedict expressed his, quote, shame and sore rowe at the pain the men and their families have suffered. it was the first time that the pope has met with abuse victims since a worldwide sex abuse scandal engulfed the vatican earlier this year. >>> nbc news has learned that later this morning toyota is expected to sign paperwork for agreeing to the largest government penalty ever against an ought maker relating to its sticking gas pedal recall. according to a department of transportation official, by paying the record $16.4 million fine, the maximum allowed by law, toyota is accepting responsibility for hiding the safety defect. the japanese automaker is expect ed to pay the penalty before to avoid going to court. while toyota is not expected to admit to any specific wrongdoing. paying the fine will not release toyota from civil or criminal actions. >>> and now here's a look at some other stories making ne

but yet the priests by the time it got to the vatican, the priests was dying. prosecutors h hadn't gone after him. there was no reason for the pope to step in. it would have been better to defrock him, which they didn't do. the catholic church survived the reformation and they'll survive this scandal. >> chris: i don't think anybody thinks the catholic church -- >> the catholic church, the center for christian orthodox. >> chris: i understand. i don't think anybody thinks it's about to crumble but the question is what does it do as the father said to moral authority of the church, what does it do to this pope? to be specific about the milwaukee case, there was a church trial of this priest. the victims wanted him to be defrocked. he wrote a letter to the office of the pope and then the trial was canceled. there was also a case with a priest when he was the archdiocese of munich. it gets to the doorstep of the pope if not in m his office. >> there are current questions about the current pope involvement in the father murphy scandal with the deaf boys and there a

as victims across the world continue to speak out, top vatican officials are trying to distance the vatican from any implication of a church coverup, one tries to do this with a letter from his jewish friend. >> translator: this reminds me of one of the most shame if the acts. >> reporter: another vatican official says the church is not comparing the ail gauges to anti-semitism -- the allegations to anti-semitism. >> it is like an avalanche. >> reporter: the pope is scheduled to lead sunday's mass on easter. tonight the vatican newspaper is denouncing charges the pontiff is involved in the church scandal. >>> details on where wizards' star gilbert arenas will be carrying out his sentence. it's reported he will attend a halfway house. no word on when he will start the service -- serving, rather, his sentence. >>> investigators are still looking tonight for the fourth suspect in the drive-by shooting that left four people dead. it comes as the families plan funerals. our reporter is live in the newsroom with the heartbreaking story of how one teenager tried to stay away from trouble but wound

many vatican watchers are saying that's not likely going to happen.extremely untoward for lack of a better term for the pontiff to address such a controversial issue during so solemn and holy a week. so instead, the ranks have closed and others are speaking for him. i can't guarantee it but i would guess that every single thing we have heard the past couple of days has been predigested and approved by the vatican in advance and it is a pretty good choreography. you mentioned that, you know, the self-critical statements, the mea culpas especially from german cardinal zolich. he went on to say, and i quote, that the church failed its own people because of falsely understood concerns about the church's image. he also said that wounds were open that can hardly be healed anymore. that is very strong offense and you can counter that with what the priest said today with the pope in attendance at that good friday service at st. peter's basilica, comparing the collective violence the jews have been victim to over the centuries to collective blame now being pla

woodruff: tom bearden reports on american catholics reacting to the sex abuse scandals plaguing the vatican. >> reporter: here in denver some catholics feel betrayed and have left the church entirely while others believe the pope is being unfairly targeted. >> brown: we look at the merits and the fallout from fraud charges filed against goldman sachs. >> woodruff: margaret warner talks to andrew kohut about his latest poll showing mounting distrust in the government. >> brown: and we mark the 15th anniversary of the oklahoma city bombing with excerpts from today's ceremony. >> we come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever. >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> will your savings be enough to fund your retirement? what will happen if your spouse outlives you by many years? what will happen if you outlive your savings? pacific life knows that tomorrow's questions require planning today. with financial solutions and strength, pacific life can help you and your financial professional

live pictures from the vatican as christians are marking good friday.stians carried the cross along the path where jesus took his final steps before being crucified. yesterday pope benedict said catholics are called to a constant examination of conscious but made no mention of the sex abuse scandal rocking the catholic church. a priest denouncing the statement motivated by a wrongly intended desire to protect the church's reputation. nbc's ann thompson is following developments for us in rome. is the pope expected to make any comment at all during services today? >> well, i can tell you, monica, that talking to people in st. peters square this afternoon, because it is this afternoon rome time, there are a lot of faithful who have come to st. peters and they are hoping to hear something from the pope, if not today by easter sunday. the scandal is affecting good friday services across europe. as you mentioned, the archbishop of berlin, he in a statement today says he hopes this friday can be a new start for the church, a start it desperately needs. in ger

. >> the vatican responds to the clergy sex abuse scandal. tonight you will hear from a woman who claims she was abused and that nothing was done. >>> and nobody can be fully prepared for something like this. which will help to make sure are you ready when disaster strikes. . >> and you are looking at the numbers from today. up to 71 but much cooler air on the way tomorrow. we will have it for you. [wind rustling] [sound of waves crashing] [upbeat whistling in background] discover all that northwest florida has to offer. seventeen hidden beaches, one revealing destination. . >>> the catholic church tonight has made a major concession to critics who charge it's not dealt seriously with clergy who molest children. for the first time the vatican has ordered catholic officials to report allegations of sexual abuse to the proper authorities. the rule which they say is not new was posted today on the website. the move comes in the middle of more troubling revelations of past misconduct. >> the pope needs to step down. many are on a rainy day an all

. >> ifill: then, margaret warner has an exclusive interview with vatican cardinal william levada about the global child sex abuse scandals.

woodruff: tom bearden reports on american catholics reacting to the sex abuse scandals plaguing the vatican. >> reporter: here in denver some catholics feel betrayed and have left the church entirely while others believe the pope is being unfairly targeted. >> brown: we look at the merits and the fallout from fraud charges filed against goldman sachs. >> woodruff: margaret warner talks to andrew kohut about his latest poll showing mounting distrust in the government. >> brown: and we mark the 15th anniversary of the oklahoma city bombing with excerpts from today's ceremony. >> we come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever. >> brown: that's all ahead on

breaking news from the vatican on the handling of sex abuse cases. up on the new directive to priests and bishops. >> reporter: yes. this is an attempt to quell the whole response to the sex abuse crisis. this was a guide posted on the websites. it notes local bishops investigate every allegation of sexual abuse by a cleric and report those allegations that have a semblance of truth to the vatican congregation. they insist this has always been the policy but this new guidance makes public for the first time this explicit policy of reporting abuse to law enforcement. you know, critics have accused the vatican, of course, of foot dragging in handling so many cases of sexual abuse by priests, some of which are decades old and in some cases accusing the vatican of taking years to defrock priests while this church's internal appeals process dragged on and on, sometimes moving priests to other jurisdictions and other diocese where they continue to go on abusing. so this will go some distance, i suppose, to appeasing those critics. contessa. >> do not anna,