There's a new sheriff in town and his name is Benedict.
The Pope came to Washington DC and let it be known that the clerical sex abuse scandal was mismanaged. How many times has a new CEO taken over a company and come to realize that his predecessor botched a few things and that's why sales are down? The Roman Catholic Church took a hit when middle management failed in their duties, so His Holiness has put them on notice. Shape up, gentlemen. You'll never make cardinal if you don't improve performance.
No pedophiles need apply, the Pope has declared. The seminaries will be barred to them. As for the gay culture that is pervading the priesthood, that's a matter for another day. There's not anywhere near enough priests, and if you're going to hold the line on married clergy, who else is there to fill the slots?
In his forward-looking statement, His Holiness has put his red-shod foot down. In the future, pedophilia will not be tolerated amongst the religious. But what about the past?
Victims of clerical sexual abuse wonder if Benedict XVI will take things a step further, and demand that his underlings come clean about the cover-ups. Will the Holy Father issue a decree that parishes around the globe confess their sin of moving pedophiles from one church to another, rather than show the perverts the door? Will bishops be made to reveal their records, to confess that they harbored a pedophile and chose to shuttle him around, to abuse more children in other localities?
Will the buck stop at the foot of the Papal Throne?
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