Those who abused got away with it, over and over again. That in itself made the situation worse.

Those who abused are mentally unstable. Those who covered up are “sane”. It is not about dissolving the church but about justice, which no institution is (should be) above.

Baxxter, you are absolutely right. Soon we are going to have to call in the Greeks to help us understand what type of philia we are talking about here.

How about we discuss (and condemn) people who force other people to do things against their will? Does it matter what philia it is? Or are we all medico-legal anoraks?

Here it is:

“Ms Louise Vella

Today, 16:14

Eleven years ago I gave evidence at the curia against a priest child molester. Mgr (now Bishop) Mario Grech heard my testimony together with Dr Caruana Colombo. Bishop Grech served as a member of the Response Team. He must have witnessed at very close quarters the great pain inflicted on victims of clergy sexual abuse and their families. He must have heard loads of shameful evidence disclosed inside the holy grounds of the curia. Bishop Grech must also be aware these evil priests have contact with, and target, multiple victims. He should have realized by now that by knowingly allowing evil conduct to evade justice, the Catholic Church has been co-operating with evil. If Bishop Grech wants to set a good example, he should be doing his utmost to co-operate with the civil authorities and safeguard innocent victims from being harmed by these predators. He must come clean and immediately release the names of all local priests who have been credibly accused of child molestation. ”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110805/local/Convicted-priest-was-absolved-in-2003.378874

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110805/world/sect-boss-guilty-of-child-sex-abuse.378897

If only we could ever hope to have a popular programmes like Xarabank transformed into a podium of experts on sexuality, and other subjects, with the premise of course that the public would stay put and listen.

Enormous harm is being done by misinformation; as I see it people don’t have or do not want to have time to read so they are just sitting ducks, gorging on canned condensed information.

It is children /adolescents themselves who will pay the price eventually. What you wrote is just the start of what could lead to serious debate, but I do appreciate that after all you are a columnist and this is a blog, and that can’t be done here.

As I said elsewhere, the aggressors are victims themselves, and so the vicious cycle goes on and on, only unbiased sane information can break that.

What is being unleashed is a witch-hunt and with all the prevailing prejudices emanating from ignorance, the homosexual community must be feeling the dire effects of the indirect fall-out. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to know that many young men and adolescents are now bolting their closet doors harder because of all this.

This entire affair is aggreviated by premeditated virulent attacks on the Catholic Church.

I am never scandalized by anything, because I have read too much to fail to understand human fragility, and if some are thinking that the case once over, would make an end to it, they are absolutely wrong.

There is a way, however, to minimise future harm, and that is information. We have to keep on asking why.