[Kenny Bunk]

.... more easily stand where it ought not.

Disagree.

The Church and the Civil Authorities are not in each other's way here, IMNVHO. The abusive priests, whether few or many, should be handled by the law, after identification and complaint by their victims and Church Authority, which should cooperate fully with the civil authorities, including filing charges.

The abusive priests are quite simply criminals and must be treated as such. I believe that would be ultimately good for the Church(es).

Sure a lot of these charges are false. What is true is that the Church(es) cover for abusive clergy.

[daniel1212]

What i meant was that until this scandal there was much more reverence for churches and its clergy (see Honesty and Ethics Rating of Clergy Slides to New Low ) - which is not only because of the sex scandal - and i think law enforcement were more reluctant to go marching into a church because someone with a axe to grind made a fallacious complaint. But insofar as you will not be ruled from within then you will be dealt with from without, to varying degrees.