I have heard a few theories. So with a fear of being accused of being anti RC, anti priest, anti vatican or anti religeous (by the RC faithful) for even discussing the issues, here they are...for discussion purposes only:

The church:
1)Some of the senor staff, right up to the Vatican, in the church were involved in similar actions, and were fearful of losing their positions within the church.

2)Homosexual activity among priests was once internally rampant (and informally accepted) within the church. This led to a tolerant view towards these activities, even involving alter boys.

3)Having sex with a woman was considered a grave sin for a priest. Sex with the same sex was viewed less so, and tolerated as a release to avoid herterosexual frolics with parishiners.

4)Having sex with an alter boy is a throwback to years gone by, when it was accepted. Much like the Royal families and and their unicks, or suiters.

5)Once ordained, a priest was once believed to answer only to God. Thus, few within the church felt empowered to take agressive action.

6)A belief that priests were being agressively lured into these acts by permissive young homosexual boys.

7)Concern with a decline in the number of priests entering the cloth, and the impact of losing any.

8)And of course, fear of the impact of huge financial settlements.

9)An incorrect internal belief that pedophile priests could be rehibilitated through internal religeous practices. Which led to a failure to get professional outside physological advice on pedophilia and rehabilitation.

Parishiners:
1)Fear of challenging the power of the church.

2)Disblief that priests could do any wrong.

3)An incorrect belief that the Vatican and powers in the church were strategically dealing with the issues/situation.

4)Fear that the church would be embarassed by bad publicity for the RC church.

5)A focus on the faith, lives outside the church, and nothing else.

6)Disblief that children were being abused by such good people.

I suspect that, given the sensitivity of the issue, the Vatican is sharing very little information with anyone who is not on the tight inside, including the National Catholic Reporter or the America. After all, while church orienated, are still are media and in the public domain.