"political Catholic Church= Conservative= bad!"
No - everybody here (with a couple of apologist exceptions) sees the issue as sexual abuse = bad; covering up sexual abuse = bad; and using considerable influence to harbour and protect sexual abusers = bad. The only exceptions to this are those who have acted as apologists for the church's wrongoings and those of you who have used the affair to promote their/your own form of abuse.
Celibacy may certainly play a part in the behaviour of the abusers, but the main issue of this business is that a significant number of them were allowed, even assisted to abuse a large number of children placed in the care of the Catholic Church over a long period of time, probably generations, and in a number of countries where that church had influence.
To date, apart from a few empty expressions of 'sympathy' (on par with comiserating with somebody who has lost a family pet), there has been no acceptence of wrongdoing by the church (as a body) and no offer of reparation or assistance to easy the damage done by the abuse If there is any substance in the suggestion that many abusers have been the victims of abuse, it is likely that the abuse with have affected future generations.
Not only has the situation not been resolved, it has not even been recognised by the church, exept in the negative affect it has had on themselves.
Had not action been demanded by a significant number of victims we would never have had the Ryan and Murphy reports and would not be having this discussion.
The church certainly has to put its own house in order, but it also has to answer for the crimes committed against children in its care.
Joe has avoided answering my question - I will draw my own conclusions as to why and put it as a general one to everybody.
If it had been the education authorities or, say, the medical system that had harboured abusers and passed them on to continue their abuses, would we be getting the same excuses for such behavior or would we be hearing demands for punisment and reparation?
Jim Carroll
PS Ake - there are probably a few typos for you to take issue with there - enjoy!