The church must act

Re Pope Francis ends landmark sex abuse meeting with strong words, but few actions, Online, Feb. 25 The Catholic Church’s recognition of the need to address sexual abuse in its ranks should prompt an examination of the extent to which celibacy plays a role in the prevalence of abuse.

I’m not suggesting repressed sexual urges lead anyone to prey on children. What better place can there be for a pedophile to go undercover than a community of celibate men charged with the stewardship of children? It’s time the church mowed the grass that these snakes hide in. They shouldn’t only permit a married clergy, they should encourage it and recognize the role that sexual health plays in overall mental health. Barry Duffey, Burlington Pope Francis holds the church’s credibility in his hands

“Turtles all the way down” is an imaginative expression with many variations. Basically, the saying alludes to the idea that the Earth is supported on the back of a turtle, and that turtle is standing on the back of an even larger turtle, which in turn is part of an endless column of increasingly larger turtles.

If a victim, who suffered sexual abuse while in the guardianship of the Catholic Church, was asked to describe what the Devil uses to support hell, the victim might reply, “Ungodly priests, bishops, cardinals and popes all the way down.” Lloyd Atkins, Vernon, B.C.