[BlackbirdSST]

Pope Benedict XVI chided Americans for a moral breakdown he said had fueled the church's child sex abuse scandal...

Funny. All this time I thought it might just be the "moral breakdown" of those pedophile priest, you know, those under the control of the Vatican. What a warped sense of responsibility I have. Blackbird.

[allmendream]

I like this Pope but this is ludicrous. People have abused children throughout human history, and many of them assume positions of authority where they can have access to children; including the position of Priest.

The breakdown in morality was when Bishops decided that moving a pedophile Priest to a new congregation was preferable to getting him prosecuted and removing him from the Priesthood.

“Better that they have Millstones tied about their necks and be cast into the depths than that they harm a child.”

When did they forget this very simple message? When will they remember?

[never4get]

The “moral breakdown” of those pedophile priests is not caused by society's moral breakdown, but was part of society's moral breakdown....to think otherwise is simply the Church not accepting blame for ridding out the morally bankrupt pedophile priests they allowed to take employment in the Church...covering it up made it even worse.

Sadly, the Church's cover up, inaction, and the explanation above, casts a poor light on the good priests who devote their life to God and his teaching. Shame on the Pope for giving such an excuse.