Joe
Sorry - a lot to catch up on, here and elsewhere.
There is a big difference between your "Child molestation and child abuse reside in every facet of society" and people who use the power held by the church to molest and abuse.
It is certainly not melodramatic to describe this power as 'mesmerising' - how else would you explain a priest being in a position to beat a child so severely as to burst her eardum - without consequences to himself? Similarly how could a single stick-weilding priest get away with breaking up a dance, beating the participants and smashing their instruments - as happened on many occasions? This latter also happened in Scotland - different religion and two centuries earlier.
If Irish society or Irish lay people are in any way to blame it is in allowing the church ever to attain and abuse this control of their lives, but this assumes that lay people ever had any say in the matter.
This was a spiritual power, based (to a non-believer like myself) on deep-rooted superstition and fear, which allowed the holy man/priest/witch doctor to become the most powerful individual in the community and above the laws of that community.
The following letter appeared in this morning's Irish Times; I find it extremely moving, but also I believe it paints a vivid picture of how these things could happen.
Jim Carroll

"Madam, -
I am a 62-year-old ex-pat Irishman living in Australia.
As a young child, I was molested by a Catholic priest. I did at one stage approach my local parish priest, who in turn contacted our bishop (of Clogher).
The priest continually abused kids and young men, but the church continually swept it under the carpet. I thought the matter was resolved.
As a result of this, as soon as I became an adult, I disavowed the Catholic Church. I still suffer recurrent nightmares about this priest's abuse. When it first happened, he would have been in his mid-20s.
It did not occur once, but many times. When it first happened, I approached my mother, whom I loved dearly, but, typical of the real Irish Catholic, I got a slap on the face, and was told not to "speak about a priest like that". Unfortunately, that was the attitude from the 1950s.
If this person is extradited from the US, I am prepared to fly to Ireland and testify against him, and also name other witnesses who may not yet have come forward.
Some years ago, I met a lady who gave me comfort and solace from this nightmare, but sadly she passed away three months ago. Now all my pent up anger has surfaced again. All I want is the ultimate justice. -Yours, etc,
MICHAEL CREEDON,
Woodfield Street,
Enfield,
Adelaide,
Australia."