Or are conspiracies and pedophile rings somehow less criminal when child rapists and their accomplices claim to be Jesus Christ’s representatives on earth?

Yes. That was Don Juan's essential realization in Moliere's play, and also one of Moliere's favorite topics.

Seriously, though, nail the fuckers. I want to see a raging storm of subpoenas, search warrants, arrests. Find out who did it and put them on trial for it. In public. Then, if they're convicted, put them away for a long time.

Also I do not buy the booze defense for this or any sexual assault.

(And sometimes spell check doesn't work)

I know Slog is spontaneous and all that, but nothing undermines an author faster than a spelling mistake.

Seriously though, unless you're a wig-wearing, long skirts-only, doesn't ride a bike on Saturdays Orthodox Jew, just type God, God dammit.

"when they look at situations like this the focus is on forgiveness"

Yes, but I would add that by choosing to focus on forgiveness, church officials also have struck on a great strategy for keeping their names out of the mud.

Wow, aren't coincidences like that neat?

Is child molesting the same thing as rape? (For some reason I thought some body part of the molestor had to penetrate the molestee to be considered rape... Maybe I'm just too old.)

I like the "G-D" spelling. Reminds me of my dog-training lists, where many people "thank doG".

If the molestee is gay - and maybe finds the molestation 'welcome' - does it still count as molesting and and/or rape?

What's tha age cut-off? (Cut-on?)

Fortunately, the Catholic church has endless resources, but with further exposes and expensive settlements sure to come, slicing up the Sistine Chapel ceiling into souvenir plates and hawking them on e-Bay will provide ready cash for countless prosecutable revelations yet unrevealed.

It's all about lies, money and power. It's the same as the mafia. God damn them all to hell.

Notice that all the pedophiles have Irish surnames, btw.

Yes. My bff worked in a clinic for years, and she said they got nuns and missionaries (and the same young women who protested outside every weekend) all the time. Many were repeats. She told me that they always freaked out on her and asked if she thought God would forgive them.

@ 19 - no way a pedophile priest doesn't get placed in protective custody.

"Cardinal Francis George and one of his top bishops are stirring up controversy because of statements they recently made criticizing lawsuits from victims of priest sexual abuse."

In a letter obtained by the Sun-Times, the cardinal earlier this year wrote to the parents of a victim and apologized "for the terrible abuse suffered by your son at the hands of Ken Ruge and Robert Becker," two Chicago area priests who are now dead.

The cardinal also wrote that money was the motivation for proposed state legislation that would allow adults who were abused by priests as children to sue their perpetrators in cases where statutes of limitation have expired.

"This is irresponsible, is not about the safety of children as the sponsor claims, and is clearly, to me at least, about money," he wrote."

The article also contains this astounding bit:

"Meanwhile, Bishop Thomas Paprocki said in a sermon to lawyers recently that abuse suits undermine "the charitable works and religious freedom of the church." The Chicago bishop, who said he is George's representative on the review board that scrutinizes abuse allegations, wants some protection for charities.

"This attack is particularly directed against bishops and priests," he said, adding that the principal force behind the attacks "is none other than the devil."

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/religion/647039,CST-NWS-Arch13.article

Seriously though, I had to listen to my neighbors whine about how people condemn the whole Catholic church unfairly because of this stuff. Is it just me or is that totally lame? Seems like with how often it happens and how much has been covered up, that there's no way to say this is a fringe thing that shouldn't affect the Church's reputation.