I wasn't actually suggesting you left the church Joe, I wouldn't be so personal and it's none of my business, but I can't help thinking that the 'dark side' of the Catholic faith would have great difficulty existing all on its own.

Regarding confession of abuse, if I understand you correctly, that is one way a priest could be guilty of what might be called aiding and abetting a crime over here, or at least failing to report a crime. There seems to be a conflict of interests between 'church law' and actual law, and yet the priest cannot actually be touched by the law as long as he keeps his mouth shut forever, which of course the church has directed him to do. In that sense, the church is without doubt helping the abuser to offend. Despite the intention, that seems immoral to me, and an ineffectual way to discourage or prevent crime. Socially speaking, I think it sets a poor example, and I'm inclined to disagree that it could possibly be beneficial to anyone's psychological welfare unless they had been first conditioned to think they needed it.