Following publicity about child abuse by priests in Ireland and Germany, Vatican spokesman, Father Frederico Lombardi, made an apology, acknowledging that abuse is “especially reprehensible” when it happens inside the Church.

He made the point, however, that child sexual abuse is NOT confined to priests, despite the media’s tendency to make it seem so. It’s a problem that “belongs to the whole of society”.

The media exploit the tragic situation of these children for sensational stories.

It certainly isn’t easy to keep a sense of proportion.

* * *

Look at yesterday’s media revelations.

In the Netherlands: “More than 200 reports of abuse have been made to a victims’ support organisations . . . .”  (BBC News, March 10)

What about these “victim support organisations”?

What are they actually trying to do?

* * *

Australia’s main “support” group seems to be the Broken Rites organisation.

 Broken Rites says its purpose is “obtaining justice”. 

However their own website gives them away:

 “The Church has traditionally interfered in the bedrooms of its congregation — no sex outside marriage, no contraception, no divorce, no termination of a pregnancy, and so on . . . . ” 

The hatred of all things Catholic is just under the surface.

* * *

If Broken Rites wants to discredit Catholic teachings on extramarital sex etc., they should try another tactic.

Exploiting child victims as a stick to beat the Church with, is simply exploiting the already-exploited even worse.

If Broken Rites succeeded in making sex outside marriage even more respectable —  would that help children?

Ask your local family GP-doctor: for every one victim of abuse by a priest that they see, how many dozen have been abused at home by mum’s de facto boy-friend?

The typical child-molester is a great believer in sex outside marriage — double-dipping with whatever females are available – the mother, the daughters, anyone he can get hold of.

* * *

Attempts to destroy the Church, whose good teachings are children’s best protection for their safety, is counterproductive.

It’s the Christian gospel that uniquely teaches that every child is a child of God — infinitely entitled to loving protection.

The Church must get back to being faithful to its traditions — to Our Lord, to his Mother and to the traditional Sacraments.