[Dan in Pasadena]

Thank you Robert. I am a lifelong Catholic and I still feel this way. I actually feel very bad for the many, many fine men (and women) over the decades who devoted their lives to the Church with noble intent and sacrifice only to have their lives turned into a bad party joke by a relative few.

Right now, most people have the impression that there is a bit of pedophile in every priest. And why wouldn't they? I don't know how the Church could have let it come to this?

I speak with certainty that I could go without sex forever and I am NOT EVER going to be thinking about molesting children...perhaps one of the better looking nuns (kidding), but never a child.

As for the new, conservative Pope and his (to me well intended, but wrong headed) intent to return the Church to some of its earlier teachings? In this instance I think his conservative views ought to make him say the Church will not tolerate a SINGLE pedophile in its midst, not for a day. That they will receive moral counseling AND will be referred to local authorities for investigation and prosecution if deemed warranted. I think he also ought to say that if charges are proven the Church will excommunicate the offender as it cannot tolerate any further destruction of the Church's moral authority. I know some will have a quarrel with this as the Church ought to be about forgiveness, but the Church will cease to exist if this isn't dealt with harshly....as has NOT been done to date.