http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8577252.stm

I wish mainstream politicians had the balls to speak out against this (unlikely I know). Even the media are a bit muted when it comes to the Catholic church

There's actually talk of a public inquiry here in NI there's been that many of the bastards

I wonder if the question will be "Is the Pope a paedo?" rather than "Is he Catholic?" from now on.

You can't accuse paedo's of being dumb. Join an organisation where you have access to children and where everyone will take you word over the child's no matter what, and you know that they'd never let the shame go public by choice if you got caught...... Sick b*****ds.

Wherther Original, young man?

I think there's that and the fact the priests are supposed to be celibate, I honestly suspect that's the main cause of abuse, not that it excuses it

Well Bishop Brennan was supposed to be celibate but was discovered to have broken that rule by Father Ted.

I always thought they should have did a story on Dougal's parents

Perhaps castration would be more effective than celibacy.

It would certainly make them think twice


Pope Benedict apologises for Irish priests' sex abuse

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8577740.stm

Well, that was worth waiting for... Business as usual then. Christ on a bendy bus, at least introduce some new effective guidelines on reporting crimes, dealing with internal hierarchy etc

The whole thing to me seems barking mad. A better punishment would be excommunication. Why? When a Catholic does something wrong, they hop on over to confession, confess and get their sins absolved. One assumes that they can do anything, happy in the belief that because Christ died on the cross for their sins, they are somehow immune to punishment in the afterlife. I have no idea whether one priest hearing a confession of a heinous crime can refuse confession, but I would guess that if a few priests were in cahoots, they could happily absolve each other with a few “Hail Marys”.

So, we can throw various laws and other missiles at them, lock them up, etc., but to the religious this is secondary and could be seen as part of a penance towards achieving a place in heaven. The way to punish these people is not just physical incarceration, but also spiritual damnation. If they are so hooked up in the belief system that if caught, they are booted out, with eternal damnation their only thing to look forward to in the afterlife, then this is clearly the punishment that must be meted out. The Pope must get the excommunication gun out.

I like your thinking Paul

+1