I just heard on the radio that The Church (perhaps the Pope hiumself, or a spokesperson, etc.) is expilicity and adamantly denying that the celibacy rule has anything to do with the abuse scandal(s).

I beg to differ.

For centuries, the celibate religious life has attracted individuals who, for one reason or another, are resolved not to engage in any sexual activity at all. Certainly, significant numbers of these people would be those who recognize that they have no interest in the limited range of sexual options permitted to them by their church and their larger society.

If I experience "temptations" to act out sexually in a manner that is strictly forbidden under any circumstances, I might very well feel that my only option is to take the vow of celibacy and join up with others like myself.

Not everyone will be able spend an entire lifetime maintaining the resolve they first felt as teenagers. And, even those who do NOT "stray" are likely to experience a degree of fellow-feeling with those among their brotherhood who do cross the line. So, the cover-up phenomemon should not be surprising.

For ages, societal forces inside and outside all churches and authoritarian structures were pretty effective at stifling human sexuality. Nowadays, for whatever reason, society as a whole is no longer unanmimous in this regard. The rule of celibacy has become a recipe for disaster.