I do hope that he was including homosexuals and not just pedophiles in his comments (I assume that he is).
I understand that the RCC is a big bureaucracy just like a gov't, so can understand the reason for the delay in his speaking out.
This from the same guy who is opposed to the "one strike and your out policy" that the American bishops agreed to regarding pedophile priests (one act of pedophilia and your out).
This pope's stand is nothing but window dressing and "smoke and mirrors" blown up the skirts of the "faithful" to keep them from bolting in the RC church in droves.
If this man were "of God," he would immediately remove cardinal Law and others guilty of the same crimes of playing musical chairs with KNOWN pedophiles from their positions of authority and would order an immediate review of all RC priests regarding their involvement in homosexual or pedophile activity. If he were a man of God, these people, after an honest evaluation of the evidence would be removed. He will never take these Biblical steps because I dare say half of the priests would be out the door or in jail where they belong.
You may attack the above statements all you like, but the reality is this, actions speak louder than words. Until the above takes place people are deluding themselves if they think Roman Catholicism and the pope are truly concerned about the problem or those within their care.
The pope in Rome cares nothing for the victims of the pedophile priests, if he did, he would not have ordered cardinal Law to RECIND the settlement the diocese of Boston had agreed to for the 86 victims of pedophile priests in Boston. And the joke that they should not be ordered to pay these victims because they "do not have the money" or "it will bankrupt the diocese" is ludicrous! If I commit a crime and am ordered to pay the penalty, I cannot say to the court "no. I do not have the money to pay the penalty." There answer is "you will pay or go to jail!" The court also does not care if the fine will bankrupt me or not. Try this line of argument the next time you get a speeding ticket and see where it gets you. We are not talking speeding tickets; we are talking about the on-going rape of multitudes of minors by men hiding behind the protection of "the church" and their vestments.
As for the argument that the RC church does not have the money to pay... They have money for new cathedrals in LA and gold-filled rooms in the Vatican and gold encrusted vestments, but NOTHING for the victims.