First of all, let me say thank you for having me in today.Spotlight · 2015 — Chapter 6 of 21 · 4'25" · C1
Phil Saviano Tells His Story, Explained: preyed upon
Phil Saviano becomes the first survivor to sit down with the team. He draws the line between being "prayed for" and "preyed upon," and sums up the damage: when a priest does this, "he robs you of your faith." The abuse, he insists, is bigger than Boston.
What happens
Phil Saviano visits the Boston Globe and asks to see Sacha Pfeiffer. He is the first survivor the Spotlight team has met, and he tells them how a priest in Worcester preyed on him as a boy, how religion counted for a lot in a poor family, and how he was groomed until he went along. He calls it spiritual abuse as well as physical.
Listen for
preyed uponrob someone of somethingcount for a lota big if
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Now
Phrase of the scene
preyed upon
to be hunted or exploited as prey
菲尔纠正别人听错的话，强调自己不是被祈祷，而是被神父当成猎物猎食。
Young players were preyed upon by a coach the whole town trusted.
Also in this scene
- rob someone of something
to take away something precious from someone
- count for a lot
to matter a great deal
- a big if
a major uncertainty
- a background check
an investigation into someone's past
- a pain in the ass
a very annoying person or thing
Everything marked in this scene
35 notes across 85 lines
First of all, let me say thank you for having me in today.not when it comes to abuse.when it comes to
not when it comes to abuse.And this has nothing to do with being gay.what clause as subject
What this is, is priests using the collar to rape kids.and I was preyed upon by Father David Holley in Worcester.liaison
and I was preyed upon by Father David Holley in Worcester.I was raised Catholic. Now I go to my wife's Presbyterian church.I'm lapsed.Not so much.to matter a great deal
When you're a poor kid from a poor family, religion counts for a lot.liaison
When you're a poor kid from a poor family, religion counts for a lot.And when a priest pays attention to you, it's a big deal.but now you got a secret together, so you go along.And so you go along with that, too, because you feel trapped, because he has groomed you.And so you go along with that, too, because you feel trapped, because he has groomed you.because clause
And so you go along with that, too, because you feel trapped, because he has groomed you.And so you go along with that, too, because you feel trapped, because he has groomed you.How do you say no to God, right?to take away something precious from someone
And when a priest does this to you, he robs you of your faith.So you reach for the bottle or the needle.That's why we call ourselves survivors.Uh, but Phil, we did run a couple of stories on you.I saw them in the clips.Yeah, but to be completely frank, it wasn't enough.elision
Yeah, but to be completely frank, it wasn't enough.could have done for past speculation
How else could they have hidden it for so long?should have done for unfulfilled duty
Maybe you should have clarified it five years ago when I sent you all of this stuff!Well, the guy, he's got an agenda, that's for sure.You think? He's obviously been through a lot.a major uncertainty
Yeah, it might be a big "if" with this guy.Do a background check on him, and follow up with some of the other survivors of his group.Okay, but stay on Garabedian. That's more important.Garabedian, what a pain in the ass.Phil Saviano Tells His Story, explained
What's really going on
The scene works because Saviano refuses to let the story be simplified. He corrects the record twice - not "prayed for" but "preyed upon" - and insists the issue is not homosexuality but power: "priests using the collar to rape kids." From there he walks the team through the mechanics of grooming, step by step, showing how each small compliance makes the next one possible. His explanation of why victims stay quiet is the heart of it: "How do you say no to God, right?" Then he names the cost as spiritual as much as physical - "he robs you of your faith" - and traces where that can lead, from the bottle to the bridge. The final line, "That's why we call ourselves survivors," reframes the whole interview: this is not a story about helplessness but about having come through.
Theme
FaithA priest is shown to steal belief itself, so the harm is spiritual as well as physical.
SurvivalSaviano's account ends on the word "survivors," framing the victims as people who endured rather than merely suffered.
Listen for
- preyed upon — liaison
- for a lot — liaison
- completely frank — elision
And I don't mean prayed for. I mean preyed upon.The wordplay that corrects any soft reading: the priest did not pray for him, he hunted him.
How do you say no to God, right?His explanation of why children comply: the abuser speaks with the authority of God.
That's why we call ourselves survivors.The reframing line: they are not merely victims, they came through.
This is not just Boston. It's the whole country. It's the whole world.His claim that the scandal reaches far beyond one city.
And it goes right up to the Vatican.The farthest point of his claim, tying the cover-up to the highest level of the Church.
Questions about this scene
Why does Saviano say he was preyed upon, not prayed for?
He is correcting the wordplay himself: the priest did not offer him prayer but hunted him as a victim.
What does Saviano mean by spiritual abuse?
Beyond the physical acts, he says a priest who does this robs a child of faith, which drives some survivors to drink, drugs, or worse.
Why does he think the story is bigger than Boston?
He says the abuse is nationwide and worldwide and reaches up to the Vatican, though he admits he has no proof yet.
What is a treatment center?
As Phil explains it, it is where the Church sends priests after they are caught, rather than turning them over to the police.
Spotlight · 21 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 7the beginning of it allReporters Interview Abuse Survivors
Chapter 1take a hard look atBaron Meets Robinson for a Drink
Chapter 2file a motionMarty Baron's First News Meeting
Chapter 3have something on someoneLawyers Break Down the Geoghan Case
Chapter 4think in centuriesRezendes Meets Garabedian
Chapter 5stand aloneMarty Baron Meets Cardinal Law
Watching · Chapter 6preyed uponPhil Saviano Tells His Story
Chapter 7the beginning of it allReporters Interview Abuse Survivors
Chapter 8out of circulationPressuring Macleish on Settlements
Chapter 9it takes a villageRezendes Meets the Informant
Chapter 10Good GermansSipe's Six Percent Estimate
Chapter 11off the estimateThe Team Counts 87 Priests
Chapter 12cottage industryRobby Confronts Macleish
Chapter 13from the top downThe Team Goes After the System
Chapter 14sledding uphillSpringfield Hearing on Sealed Records
Chapter 15off the recordGarabedian Reveals the Sealed Documents
Chapter 16get on the same pageReporters Confront Boston College
Chapter 17broke ranksRobby Refuses to Rush the Story
Chapter 18a few bad applesPete Pressures Robby Over Drinks
Chapter 19on a clockRobby Gets Six Weeks to Publish
Chapter 20lay something on someoneRobby Confronts His Old Friend
Chapter 21stumbling around in the darkThe Newsroom Finalizes the StoryChapter 6 of 21 · about 44 min to go