PELL AND THE PERVERTS.

At the top let's be clear: for every injured or traumatized person [ the victims of child abuse, in this case ], there is the relayed damage to parents, siblings, extended family, friends, acquaintances and all those in that child's future relationships. So, this could amount to hundreds, even more than a thousand people per victim meaning many many millions of affected people around the world. Child abuse in the Catholic Church in the modern era is far worse than the Spanish Inquisition's victims, and further, the scandal has seen many more millions to leave the Church.

That said, it is not a systemic problem in the Church any more than it is in Red Cross, Scouts, U.N. Peacekeepers, Protestant churches or the myriad of State-run institutions where abuse has been even more rife. But the institution where one would least expect such evil is the RC Church. It is not systemic, no, it is due to weak individuals, nearly all men, who gave in to licentious temptation for their own perverted sexual gratification. Being a priest offers no protection and, one could say, is more a target of Devilish opportunism than others. On the other hand, a priest supposedly has greater resistance to such temptation, but in the end too many men are simply weak self-aggrandizing beings.

Then worse: the protection and continuation of evil deeds, thanks largely to the Bishops and the Church culture who concealed it all. Why did they? A non-Catholic would not appreciate the workings at play here. At ordination a priest divorces his natural family [somewhat figuratively], to become a child of the Church with his Bishop in loco parentis. Who wouldn't protect his son from punishment? It may seem that the guilty Bishops were protecting the institutional reputation, but there is more to it than that. But, this cult-like dynamic is one that has been found out as totally deficient and collaborative with evil itself. This culture must change. Mandatory reporting must be applied. The corporal Body of Christ must change for the Spirtiual Body of Christ demands it - and so does the laity.

And Pell himself? My unit of psych 101 means nothing, but I do know that a person who's conscience is not whole or exhibits a lack of empathy is likely a sociopath, and that is my personal opinion of Pell. I don't know if he is guilty, but suspect he did fail to stop abuse as did so many others. while he has been pilloried with trite memes and a Minchin song is just a way that some will express their views, but it's not mine. I stand apart from several commentators, whom I admire, who support Pell.

The problem? The culture of protection must change. Secondly, the entrance criteria to seminaries needs review. The vetting process has waxed and wained over the years. Is it too lax in the admission of apparent homosexually-inclined applicants to the priesthood? Sites like 'Gates of Vienna" or 'Lepanto Institute' outline the genesis of the policy.

In conclusion, be assured that there are many lay organizations within the faith which are determined not to let this happen again - organizations that are often at odds with the establishment and the Magesterium itself. The Pope and Bishops be on notice: NEVER AGAIN!