Royston,

The relationship is credibility of popes, current and past (whom the RC church docrine (regardless of how many street level RCs believe it, or anything else the pope says publically) claims represents christ on Earth. ...and whether they should focus on cleaning up   their own house (versus fleesing their parishes) before preaching to others worldwide on faithful ways to govern in this world....as the thread topic indicates.

I submit the actions of these(co called) holy people, these popes were similar in nature to condoning sexual abuse, by ignoring priest sexual abuse of children, in positions of authority, under the employ of the RC church...by allowing a cover-ups and the movement of offending priests to other unsuspecting locations...where they offended again, by sitting by while bishops blamed the victims and refused to compassionately reach out and help heal victims. Rather than effecting change...they did nothing, forced victims to go publically before the courts...where they were mostly successful in law suits....and then dump the bill on the local parishes...to save the Vatican booty.

Sure there is crime and sexual abuse elsewhere....but that is not the issue, nor makes these actions in a church that claims to be christian, any better. To make it worse, parishoners blamethat they must bear the costs of the settlements on the victims...rather than going after the Vatican and its billions accumulated over the decades.

And yes, other organizations have had scandals....but again , that is not the issue, nor makes it less revolting. In most of the other organizations, leadership from the top intervened, to make amends and to put measures in place to limit the occurance in the future.. Not the Popes....they preach to civil governments. Only recently, after decades of victims coming forward has a pope done the minimum...said he was sorry...Big fucking deal Mr. Pope.
As the song goes, "it's a little too late to do the right thing now"