In preparing to write my weekly post, I usually scour a number of sources around the world. I like to read a wide variety of sources so that I can try to inform myself of all the prevailing opinions of the day, rather than just one particular viewpoint.

It always disheartens me, however, when I search for “Catholic” and get results relating to sexual scandal. So, as you can imagine, I didn’t like too much of what was in the news feed yesterday when I was doing my research.

A report has been released detailing the results of investigation into the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests and employees in Ireland. This is not to be confused with the similar “Ryan report” which was looking at the government sector as well. No, this sorry report outlines the cover-ups of child abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in Ireland from the mid-70′s to the mid-90′s.

As with the reports from elsewhere in Europe and the U.S., these cases deserve categorical damnation. The abuse of susceptible people – of any age – by our priests (and anyone in positions of heightened trust) is always to be deplored, for it is amongst the gravest of evils in my opinion. And the, at best, misguided and, at worst, calculated moves by the prelates at the time to cover up and move people along is just disgusting. Period.

The last time I discussed this topic, I called out for answers: specifically, how can something like this happen (repeatedly) and how can we prevent it from happening in the future? While there wasn’t much by way of a response to these questions in most of the media coverage I read, there was some very interesting points of view provided in a Telegraph article, somewhat provocatively entitled “Let’s get it straight: Irish child abuse was perpetrated by the trendy, modern post-Vatican II Catholic Church“.

I’m not saying that Mr Warner is correct in all his accusations or theories, but I do wonder if we are analysing these abuses from every possible angle? Because, in my opinion, that’s what we need to be doing in order to find a solution to this. As one of the comments by “spuds” on Warner’s article puts it:

Pedophilia is NOT just a problem of the Catholic Clergy in ANY country, it is a problem that runs the broad scope of Human experience!

It runs in families, first and foremost as a crime of opportunity. What is a church parish but another form of family? As is the local athletic team, scout pack, school class, where pedophiles trawl for victims?

To blame the church practise or lack thereof, whether post or pre Vatican councils, is to miss the root of the problem.

Someone at some point willfully chose to ignore the damage mental physical and emotional to a child/children to satisfy a curiosity and set into motion sexual pedophilia.

From the little I have seen of various films made concerning pedophiles, they are in most cases victims themselves.

I in no way, believe that because someone is a victim, that pity prevent justice from being enacted, when a victim turns to victimising to reassert their control over their life.

Forgiveness in its truest form is meant to prevent victims from victimising as a method of coping with powerlessness.

Forgiveness releases the victim from the control of the victimiser, in his/her heart and mind! Forgiveness does not release the victimiser from justice, punishment and removal from society, regardless of whether the perpetrators, are priest, teacher, coach, doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, uncle, aunty, brother, cousin, sister… get the point?

So given this is not a solely Catholic problem, are there any lessons to be learnt from other professions of trust where this apparently isn’t a problem? Or, more frighteningly, is it also still a problem prevalent throughout all of human society? In which case a) what do we do, and b) how do we make our Church the bastion of those who are different enough for this not to be a problem?