I’m not a Catholic, but I have a great deal of respect for Catholicism and the Catholic church. Having said that, though, the news out of Rome is disappointing and more than a touch bizarre. I think the statement that said it all came when the cardinals said they were “considering a zero-tolerance policy” for priests who sexually abuse children. Doesn’t this get at the problem the church is struggling with. Considering? We already have a zero-tolerance policy in this country for child sexual abuse — i.e., state criminal statutes. There’s just some basic disconnect here that is difficult to fathom. I think Andrew Sullivan has it right when he writes “Abuse of children or minors is not a peccadillo. It’s horrifying in anyone, appalling in the priesthood.”
