[Campion]

effectively shielded the perpetrator

By treating this girl's confession with exactly the same confidentiality he treated everyone else's confession?

It doesn't matter. This is a non-negotiable for us. You can put every priest in the US in prison for life if you wish, "compelling state interest" be d-mned.

[FredZarguna]

So, now your position has changed. You first claimed that that because the victim had confessed, the molester was not protected. But if you read the article, which I am charitably going to assume you have, the priest not only did not report the crime as required by LA law [which I accept, given the teaching of his church] he actively counseled the female victim not to report the crime.

So now your position is: whatever the law is, it really doesn't matter. Priests have the right to give bad advice to penitents [advice which is contrary to both the law and their own morality] and damn whatever the law is, because your church has a Constitutional right to protect molesters.

Yes, the Church of Rome has always taken that position, and it is paying dearly for it.