Yes, in a church with a billion members, there's bound to be corruption mixed with the good.

Joe, I absolutely agree with you on that point. I think the problem is that when the high-ups in the church - bishops, cardinals, perhaps even the Pope - know about it, they seem, (according to several press reports) to cover it up and not really cut it out root and branch.

There are reports in today's UK Guardian (for example) of 10-year old boys being forced to sign papers vowing them to silence - by the church - with the priest in question then going on to abuse boys for a further 18 years. I can understand that there will be rotten apples in every barrel of society. What is disturbing is an apparent real lack of will on the part of the church high hierarchy to admit it and get completely rid of it as far as they can. So - for example - if a priest should commit child abuse in one parish, he should be struck off the priesthood, rather than, say, simply be moved to another parish.

And, yes, it's not just the Catholic church.