I certainly agree, Penny, that the catholic church is not the only transgressor. I agree too that celibacy is not at the root of the problem.

As for Joe's rhetorical question: "Why would they be (evil)?" I am afraid he's making that point to the wrong person. "Evil" is a concept born out of religion and one that I don't recognise. To me it implies a satanic hand at work.

Joe has simply made a straw man and knocked it over. As an attempt to skirt round the hierarchical abuse of children (which is what occurs when a bishop stifles a child victim's protesting voice) it is pathetic. The abuse happens and Joe knows it happens. It is sheer fatasy to suggest that it can't be happening on the ground that bishops couldn't be that evil.

It is also fantasy to say I see the catholic church as an "unholy conspiracy to lead lead the world to sexual perversion in the name of Jesus." I do see it as an arrogant and manipulative institution that has grown rotten on the excesses of power it has wielded in several countries (but not so much in the US) down several centuries.

Here's the view from Ratzinger's home town.