PARALLELS

Regarding the current scandal of priestly child molestation being so breathlessly reported by the msm, an unmentioned observation has occurred to this writer.

One of the charges leveled against the Roman Catholic Church during the years of the Protestant Reformation was the refusal of the Church to recognize the authority of the State in a variety of contexts, the Church reserving to itself the right to override or to supersede or to grant a freedom known as ‘sanctuary’ to churchfolk who were said to have violated this or that secular law.

And then there was the matter of immense wealth controlled by the pre-Reformation Church which was not subject to secular authority.

I am reminded of the above as I read of alleged, apparent current Roman Catholic Church practice of forgiving and transferring pedophile priests instead of forgiving and surrendering them for secular prosecution.

I suggest a parallel between this practice and that of the pre-Reformation Church practice of arrogating unto itself the right to ignore secular law.

There was a time when such arrogation might have been arguable, in the very early days of the beginning of the nation-state evolution.

These days are not such times.

Men, or women for that matter, clerical or not, if they sexually abuse children, should suffer the maximum punishment allowed by a just legal system.

No religious institution on this planet has the right to excuse a person form punishment for such crimes.

For it to cover up and protect from civil authority such criminals is really a lot of things, the least of which is a disgusting and flagrant violation of moral and legal responsibility.