The Scandal

Well, having put the Church first in my blog description, might as well get this topic out of the way (at least for now) --

Everyone repeat after me:
Celibacy does NOT equal pedophilia.
Celibacy does NOT equal homosexuality.
Homosexuality does NOT (repeat, NOT) equal pedophilia.

Are we all clear on these concepts? As horrible as any abuse of children is, to blame it on the celibate priesthood (a discussion for another time) is just plain ignorant.
If the requirements of the Roman Catholic priesthood are the cause of child abuse, explain to me why the vast majority of abuse is committed by other than priests. What is your explanation for abuse by parents? step-parents? teachers? ministers of other denominations? atheists?

None of this is to excuse those priests. Nor the higher-ups who moved them around, in effect condoning their actions. If I Ruled the Church, John Cardinal Law would be spending the rest of his life as an anonymous lay brother, cleaning latrines in a desert monastery.
But I don't, and he's not, and my blood pressure goes up every time I see his name in the news. He and those like him have left a trail of disaster behind them. Broken lives, faith destroyed, beloved parishes being closed due to the financial strain of lawsuit settlements. This all lays directly at their feet.

I used to think that we needed a conciliator for our next Pope. Not any more. The next Pope needs to take as his image and model the Jesus who threw the moneychangers out of the Temple. He needs to get angry over things like this -- publicly and visibly angry. People who are there only for themselves need to be thrown out. On their ears. Preferably in front of a full crowd at St. Peter's Square, with worldwide media coverage.

Kyrie Eleison.