Yes, John, it would be ludicrous to apply that law to child abuse and yet exclude murder and the rest.

Rapparee, there is always the possibility that victims might confess to non-abusing priests. (There are a few.) It was invariably drilled into such children that the sin was theirs, so they might be glad to get it off their chests at last. Until very recent times of course the victims rarely dared confide in anyone, for fear of the venom they would bring down on themselves.

Meanwhile the Vatican has said that its decision to recall the nuncio (whom many in Dublin wanted expelled anyway) was motivated in part by "surprise and disappointment at certain excessive reactions." So, too mealy-mouthed to say that it was the Irish PM who ruffled their feathers. But I think we can assume that his accusation of hierarchical "narcissism" in particular was not well received.