wow joe clam down. people from many areas and backgrounds have every right to criticize the catholic church on child abbuse. the rc has a long history of cover ups and no history of real punishment for offenders unless proven in criminal court.

there are in fact many helpfull solutions. i don't think celibacy is the issue, the ussue is the church has never had an arms length oversight group that can dispense discipline. everything has been kept internal--a recipie for corruption. if all accusations were automatically refered with all documentation to an out side arms length authority then things would be properly investigated , greatly reducing cover up and abuse, and speedily ejecting abusers instead of protecting them for decdades. a group that holds such great moral authority over its members has an obligation to do this if it wants to be considered fair.

more important to me is the undiscussed deaths of aproximately half the children in native residential schools run all over north america with the participating churches destroying all records they can. get real joe the catholic church has consistently covered up and destroyed the records of abuse.as a result catholics and the church have absolutely no right to attack the critics--they have an obligation to LISTEN for years and years.

i know canadian catholics who have good solutions. like a three year period of attoinment is being proposed where the church is required to LISTEN to the abused and the critics without responding. then a three year internal meditation on how to deal with things properly.and of course an artms length abuse investigatory body.

but joe with you insistence that it is bigotry to criticize i think its time for you to step down from mudcat. you have to try to maintain some objecytivity. the catholic and several other churches have participated in genocide against canadian natives and have avoided almost all responsibility. you should try the three yrears of listening before you repond again.