Religion

Your assertion:

What I actually wrote:

What causes the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) to hide the problem of pedophile priests?

My thoughts on the issue:

Looking at the last entry, dealing with sexual abuse of a minor, we see that 95% of children are abused by someone that they know, and that 50% of those who molest a young child are family members.

We know that sexualized violence is a human trait.

We know that those who commit sexualized violence are predators.

We know that predators will be found where the potential victims are found. A deer hunter does not hunt for deer in an urban area. The hunter goes where the deer are to be found. And these predators are on the hunt for their victims, so it makes sense that they will be found wherever there are victims.

In the case of the RCC, we have a male priesthood, and if males make up 90% of those who sexually abuse children, it stands to reason that in a predominantly male group, the likelihood of finding predators is apparent.

Again, in the case of the RCC, we have a very hierarchical institution, and given the frequency with which institutions tend to protect their own, we can understand, but we cannot excuse, why the RCC felt it was necessary to close ranks around their offenders.

We also know, as I have pointed out by linking to my posts here, that RCC Canon Law was, and remains, written to keep child abuse “in house”, in the RCC itself.
A similar problem can be found in the military, where Commanders have often hidden sex crimes committed under their command.
A similar problem can be found in the police forces, where some officers obviously have an “us versus them” mentality when they cover for their own.

Almost as if all of these various groupings function somewhat like a tribe, where the interests of tribe members override other interests.

My personal conclusion:
Unfortunately, sexual abuse is a human trait. A certain percentage of humans will abuse others if they can do so. This does not excuse the abuse, nor does it excuse the even more egregious act of covering up sexual abuse.
In my view, the cover up is definitely worse than the crime.
Finally, as I pointed out here and elsewhere, there can be no excusing sexual violence. Sexualized violence is primarily violence and aggression, and we all, as individuals and as members of institutions, have an obligation to expose it when we find it.


Now, you explain to me where I engaged in a cover up or avoidance.