The Pope is "ashamed".........

As he started his US tour, the Pope chose to address the sex scandal that has torn at the church saying he was “deeply ashamed” by the actions of pedophile priests.

I just can't not say something about this - so my Catholic friends (and in-laws and relatives) please forgive me. I think no one was or is shocked by the fact that abuse occured in the church or by the fact that some priests are pedophiles. Priests are humans and there are bound to be deviants in their population just like in the real world. The obscenity is that when the church realized there were priests that were pedophiles, they chose to cover up the abuse and just "relocate" priests to avoid scandal (with the reality being that the priests could abuse more children).

The moral failure is that of the church itself - that it sheltered and enabled pedophiles. Why can't the Pope admit that he is ashamed of that?

Now, get this...... canon law doesn't explicitly bar sexual abusers from the priesthood. There is a section in the church’s Code of Canon law that specifies that a man cannot be ordained a priest, or cannot remain a priest, if he has committed certain acts, like homicide, self-mutilation, attempted suicide or procuring an abortion, said Mr. Cafardi, the author of “Before Dallas: The U.S. Bishops’ Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse of Children” (Paulist Press, 2008). “It’s time to add to that list pedophilia and sexual abuse of children,” Mr. Cafardi said. “I’m reading Benedict’s remarks as heading toward a change in the law of the universal church, so that this can be implemented throughout the Catholic world.”

It is reported that today the Pope met with some abuse victims. These victims all say that more important than the pope’s words are his actions, criticizing what they say is the lack of a concrete plan to purge pedophiles from the church and discipline bishops and other leaders who have protected them.

“It’s a small but overdue positive step if it leads to action,” David Clohessy, a leader of the survivors network, said of the private meeting with five victims from the Boston area on Thursday. “Talk can produce change or complacency. “Despite the soothing words and promises of reform,” Mr. Clohessy added, “the cold, hard fact is that not a single kid is safer today because of what’s been said this week.”

If the Pope is so ashamed, then he needs to take responsibility for the coverups and deception and publically denounce what was for so long condoned by the church heirarchy. It is time for the Pope to do the right thing........