[Cloud]

understand I'm not making apologies for the RC church, but to me it's a complex issue and one that I spend a lot of time thinking about. Going after the pope just strikes me as a grandstanding move. Maybe it's what's needed, but I tend to think it's a futile gesture.

I don't like churches in general, and I think power corrupts. But I think the priests were at first trying to apply prayer and compassion to this problem and to their brothers. This was their SOP, because they live in a different world from the secular, civil world we live in. To us, it makes sense to go through the civil authorities--to them, not so much. These men seek their answers from above, either through their own hierarchy or from the divine.

I see sex with children as a constant variation of human sexual norms throughout history. It is abhorrent to me, because a child cannot consent. No culture today condones it, but no one has a good system for addressing the problem in place. We as a society, are playing catchup, trying to mitigate a problem that has been with us all along, in all segments of society. How many children have been sexually abused by their parents or close relatives? Far more than were victimized by religious. [ETA] What about the young girls being sold into sexual slavery by their parents in Yemen and other places? And yet, so very little education or preventive measure are in place even today.

As far as the church goes, I see secrecy and naivete making the problem worse. Not only did the priests not talk about the issue of pedophilia, but normal human sexuality is not addressed in seminaries. There was no framework for these men to even begin to understand their problem or seek help. Efforts have been made to correct this, and to formulate more open rules and procedures. Is it enough? dunno. All of the religious people I've met are sincerely appalled and ashamed, and compassionate to the victims.

I also see greed and opportunism on the part of journalists, LEOs, politicians, and yes, even victims. They wait 30 years, and all of a sudden claim to remember being abused, and now blame all of their loser lives on it, and want millions of dollars. That's an oversimplification, or course, but there's no doubt that greed and revenge is playing a part in this situation.

I'm just working through these thoughts.