I recall a cover up being staged at the Last Supper over something else, and an attempted cover up or two in Acts. And there is evidence of all sorts of cover ups throughout the Old Testament.
There are many real problems that do need to be addressed. Leaving may be a solution. Sometimes some sort of leaving may be the right solution. But it is not always the right solution.
Anne Roche Muggeridge’s classic “The Gates of Hell” begins its concluding chapter with the quote “Don’t let the b@st@rds drive you out.”
Typical Catholic response.
Downplay the severity of the issue by comparing it to other allegedly similar episodes either in the past or elsewhere.
And that is exactly the reason Catholicism is hemmoraging members.
When Catholic quit making excuses like *It’s worse somewhere else*, or *They’re sinners just like us* (no they are not as most of *US* are not homosexual predators molesting kids), then maybe people will realize that Catholics and the hierarchy is serious about cleaning up the issue.
But until there’s condemnation for the actions both of the abuse and the cover up, nobody is going to take all the talk seriously.
So are you going to condemn the abuse and the cover up or are you also going to deflect the attention elsewhere and pretend that it’s not so bad because *It’s worse somewhere else*? (And you are certainly NOT the only one engaged in those tactics.
At this point, quoting the passage about the gates of hell not prevailing against the church is ludicrous.
For one thing, the gates are defensive, and what it means is that when the church attacks the gates of hell, then the gates will not be able to withstand the assault.
But not from a church in the condition Roman Catholicism is in.
It’s more like (especially for the abuse victims) the Roman Church has become the gates of hell.