Today is the day of Pope Benedict’s letter to Irish Catholic bishops expressing his true sorrow over the scandal of child-abuse.

Whatever he says, it won’t satisfy the media and the celebrity-atheists whom they love to quote.

The child-abuse scandal in the Church has been bad. The Pope and his Church must humbly, genuinely repent of past failures – then boldly determine that the future will be different.

Those found guilty must be punished. Their superiors who shielded them must be sacked.

* * *

That said, we now turn to the real issue.

The fact is that the Church, despite many terrible errors, is the institution which, of all human organisations, has fought hardest against the sexual misleading and abuse of minors.

The misuse of sex and the perversion of the minds and bodies of the young are caused, first and foremost, by the very media who try to focus our anger on the Church.

They and we are in denial about a universally-pervasive premeditated incitement of people not to control their sexuality.

* * *

Check how the media performs. Open the newspaper. Turn on the television. You will encounter, within seconds, sex being exploited to titillate, to degrade and to influence brand-selection.

Keep looking and you’ll encounter systematic undermining and mockery of the basics of civilised society — sexual restraint, fidelity to marriage, home-mothering of families . . . .

The media see financial advantage in destroying sexual innocence and purity.

If anybody tries to stop them, they squawk about “censorship”, “freedom of expression” etc.

* * *

Pray for the Church.

Pray for the enemies of the Church.

Keep your own life meticulously pure and blameless – otherwise your prayers will be worth nothing and God will not listen to them.