When you have a moment, please validate and certify my 2nd ever posting to a blog, is devoid of any and all potential “foot into mouth” disease. . Bob

What I believe needs to be added to the discussion, and to the written record, is the civil authorities investigation, response, and actions (or inaction) in these US cases at the time they were alleged. You will find that in many of the cases, the civil authorities did not find any credible evidence to indict, much less prosecute the perpetrators. Further, in our criminal justice system we are innocent until proven guilty. While I share your position that many of our bishops choose door #1 “(1) Effectively ignore the problem, cover it up, and transfer the priest to another location where he can abuse again.” they did so, in a number of cases, naively based on the fact that the priest wasn’t convicted of the crime. I am not saying that something didn’t happen, where there is smoke there is fire, and that the Church doesn’t have the responsibility and obiligation to root out the evil from within, but I am saying that these facts need to be an important part of the balanced discussion, and the search for the truth, and humble reconciliation.