The release of the report by the Maryland Attorney General on the sexual abuse by large numbers of Catholic priests is just another reminder of the foundational truth of organizations-self preservation. Carried to the extreme it places this reality above some of the most horrible abuses. The Catholic Church isn't the only religion that has faced this reality. Religions in particular are more likely to fall into this reality through the deification of their leaders. It may be a cult-like minister of a church or a priest who is God's representative on Earth, an unquestioned authority who can lead to these types of abuse.
It would be easy to look at the report and think that this problem relates to behavior 20, 30, or 40 years ago. That would be a mistake. While the possibility of exposing the behavior is greater today, the reality is that pedophiles will continue to abuse but have to be more discreet. Institutional preservation will always exist and will continue to cover up this behavior.
To address this issue the Catholic hierarchy needs to recognize that celibacy is at the root of this problem and until that changes the problem of priests as pedophiles will continue.
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