You don't understand? Well, allow me to explain....

"It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission ... to these children."

That is what Pope Benedict XVI said.  He said he didn't understand.  This makes me very angry! It makes me angry for several reasons. 

First, for a long time, I was trying to be a good Catholic.  I was born, I was baptized, I went through many of the sacraments, I "strayed" from the church and I was trying really hard to be a good Catholic again.  And then my trust in the Catholic church was shattered.  By who?  Well, by the Catholic Church itself. 

There are MANY reasons that I am angry with the Catholic church.  Their view on gay marriage, birth control, women in the priesthood and a whole bunch of other stuff I won't bore you with.  My main reason is this.... not only were children being abused by priests, but these priests were being protected by the Catholic Church.

Now, let's really look at the statement:

"It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission ... to these children."

Well, there were priests who were pedophiles.  They took advantage of their position.  What I am not hearing is any admission of guilt, any contrition for protecting these pedophile priests.  I think a few mea culpas are in order here.  I can only speak for the Boston Archdiocese, but when they found out there were pedophile priests within the flock, instead of turning them over to the police, they were just quietly sent away to another parish.  They provided these priests with fresh new victims.

I don't care if you wear a collar around your neck.  I don't care if you took a whole truck load of vows.  If you raped a child, then you should go to jail.  If Joe Shmow down the street rapes a child, he should go to jail.  I don't see why priests are any different. 

If the Pope is interested in healing wounds.... I have a suggestion.  (And again, I speak for those of us in Boston.)  Give us Cardinal Archbishop Bernard Francis Law!  Send him back to Boston and stop giving him sanctuary like Quasimodo in Notre Dame!  That man knew there were priests abusing kids and did nothing.  Even worse than nothing...he was ok with just shuffling them around to new parishes so they could abuse more children.  And when the shit hit the fan, he boarded a plane to the Vatican.

Let's just keep something in mind....Pope Benedict is not some new guy who had this thing fall in his lap.  He was a trusted advisor to Pope John Paul the II.  He knew this was going on before he became the Pope.

Bernard Law protected pedophile priests, the Vatican protects Bernard Law...its like some kind of sick circle.  Pope Benedict XVI is the head of the Catholic Church and he says he is ashamed. 

He should be.