well I've had a look through guests posting, and to tabulate his brilliant debating angles seem to be:-

1) the Roman Catholic Church are a bad lot
2) the Pope hasn't admitted they are a rotten lot
3) there hasn't been an official report calling them a bad lot
4) Joe is 'in denial'

in rebuttal

1) Most catholics admit the church has done some bad stuff. that's the nature of faith. rather like bravery in battle - it requires suspension of the imagination (Hemingway). if a soldier thinks of all the bullets that could kill him, he would be paralysed with fear and could not function. similarly if the believer thought about the likelihood of man nailed to cross being the son of god, they couldn't believe - many need the theatre and poetry of church ritual to make that leap of belief

2) The Pope has the precedent of Gerard Ratner to know what would happen if he came clean. He owes to the faithful to put on a brave face and front his product.

3) Who do do suggest to examine the Church....... Which Magazine?

4) Joe has admitted the church has faults and he has admitted witnessing the skulduggery. But he needs the church. Leave him be. Stop accusing him. Guest wants more than he has to give. The rest is courtesy. And what if he is in denial. He's human. A great human being. Talk to him with respect