Fascinating comment

The following comment was posted in response to an article by George Neumayr at The American Spectator (which is a good read):

The End of History and the Last Pope
By George Neumayr on 4.8.10

This entire matter is primarily Catholic-bashing (though it was somewhat invited - but how did that came about; (un-Catholic liberal infiltration) is what the finger-wagging accusers don't wish to discuss?)
They are now clamoring to put The Pope on trial.
The way I see that going:

The Pope on Trial.

Prosecutor: Mr. Pope, sir, Were you ever made aware that your priests were doing this evil?

Pope: Why yes, I was always aware that some priests and others in the Church have succumbed to secularism and liberalism’s code of morality, instead of following God’s commandments against doing such behavior, just as some prosecutors have done. By the way, is that a stone you just picked up?

Prosecutor: (quietly dropping the stone) Mr. Pope, sir, isn't your church embarrassed to have evil people inside it?

Pope: Well, my Boss says that's precisely why he came down here and made it in the first place - for sinners, and he proved it by hand-picking that Judas fellow. We don't deny sinners exist; we merely try to convert them – as in that “go and sin no more” thing.

Prosecutor: You are aware, are you not, that the world is extremely angry at your Church, Holy Father?

Pope: Certainly, but it comes as no surprise, because, as the Person who created those angry people once warned us; the world will always hate us because of what we are called to believe, - they are really angry because they refuse that simple message and hate any and all who accept it, or preach it. They crucified Him with the same anger and for the same reason, remember?

Prosecutor: No more questions.

for a fascinating sociological look at the issue, please read this article:

Moral Panic Flares Again, by Massimo Introvigne
Is priestly paedophilia a problem? Yes, says an Italian sociologist. Is it a big problem? No.

Massimo Introvigne is an Italian sociologist of religion. He is the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR). This article from the CESNUR website has been reprinted and translated with permission.