You can try and deflect with one article, and I wouldn’t deny that that other religions have had abuse issues, but within the catholic church it is systemic and goes all the way to the top. And now the PA AG’s office has a detailed account of how perverted and corrupt the catholic church is at all levels. If the other 49 AGs would do a similar investigation, the results would cause such outrage that the catholic church would cease to exist in America.
No need to be so defensive, just pointing out that as Christians we should humbly acknowledge corruption in every crevice of Christendom. And also letting you know that millions of people LIKE ME will not abandon Catholicism so your prediction is blatantly out of touch with reality. I worship happily in both Evangelical and Catholic contexts. (And sometimes Orthodox Christian at that!)
There’s a difference between wanting to address the sex abuse and bringing justice to the perpetrators, but it seems as though you have contempt for the Catholic Church as a whole.
The Catholic Church is well over a thousand years old...It’s never been perfect, and it’s been responsible for some pretty heinous things and it’s been through worse. And I don’t plan on neglecting it, and neither do the millions of others you predict will leave in droves.
In a similar vein: the United States government, the American culture at large, is guilty of numerous sins in the sight of God and man throughout its history — but I’m not going to neglect my US citizenship anytime soon either.
It does go all the way to the top. Rumour has it the gay mafia pushed Benedict out because he wanted to take action on pedophiliac priests.
It may be that Francis was appointed to shield them.
I would just say that there is no other religion that has a formal hierarchy like the Catholic Church. I'm quite certain that if - for sake of argument only - the Lutheran Church had the kind of unified structure as the Catholic Church, you would likely be seeing similar systemic abuses.
That being said, there is no doubt that we seem to be dealing with the Catholic version of the "Deep State". My daughter's pastor in his homily said that there are other states that will be following PA's lead on this and there is likely to be more pain to come.
I hope I am wrong, but your comment about the Catholic Church ceasing to exist in America makes is appear you are gleeful at the prospect. Perhaps you don't realize that the body of the Church consists of ALL the faithful, ordained and laity. That all must suffer because of the sins of the few I suppose is our cross to bear, but I respectfully ask that you consider the pain the faithful are enduring right now.