""Believe me, Jim, Lawrence Murphy most probably went to hell as a priest. He molested 200 deaf children. But "defrocking" him wasn't necessary. He should have been prosecuted, tried, and sent to prison if found guilty.""

I rather think that defockng and excommunication are not only necessary but obligatory Joe.

The church covered these mens' misdeeds to protect the reputation of the "Catholic Church".

How much better it would have been, to protect that reputation by not only handing over the abusers to well deserved secular legal punishment, but also by repudiating them and all their actions by publicly severing their ties with the Church, and depriving them (in the eyes of the faithful at least) of any chance of heaven.

Don T.