Butch: I see a lot of good as well, but the consequences of protecting the bad are severe. Leaving aside the specifics of the pedophile business, there is a tremendous need at the moment for contemplation of the moral issues arising from a whole range of subjects - virtually everything arising from the field of genetic manipulation, for example. In the ideal world I, as a Catholic, would be looking to the Church for a considered reaction on this. But I cannot look for moral guidance to an organisation where behaving in a way I regard as immoral is standard behaviour. In short, I think the Church has squandered its moral authority by its attitude and approach to a whole range of sex-related subjects and the unwillingness to adopt a firm position with the clergy while simultaneously continually condemning the laity for how it behaves.

Now, before we get into too deep a discussion about moral stances, *of course* if the Church decides, for example, that most forms of contraception are immoral, it should not change its view just because 98% of the world disagrees with it. The charge I make, and keep coming back to, is one of hypocrisy.