Mary and Webby,

A key issue is that the bishops, who were "minders" of the cover-ups have not been handed over to secular authorities, even if one assumes Benedict is leaning towards kicking-out front-ine priests known to have offended.

One interesting case, that as been discussed over recent similar threads, is that of Bishop Law, who was actually promoted by JP II, after a cover-up.

I tend to agree about Dawkins, Hutchens and Robertson, who probably are just trying keeping their names out in the public domain. Yet, there has been responsible lobby of more to be done, by other parts of the press: e.g., the Boston Globe and Catholic National Reporter.

Do you feel that cover-up bishops should be handed over to authorities and/or defrocked, or, even excommunicated? If not, why not?

If Benedict defrocked Law, then I (and many others?) would be less inclined to be critical of the Pope. Now that would send a clear rightful message.

The New York Times considers observers reviewing Benedict's behavour something like a Rorschach test. What do you see?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/europe/27vienna.html?src=mv

If only Benedict would take determined unambiguous firm action against the cover-up bishops. While he does not act, he looks too muck like the waywatd bishops, removed by degree only.

As many commentators elsewhere have commented, if Ratzinger's systematic and well-documented cover-up had been carried out by a senior executive of a multinational company that person would now be facing criminal charges and looking forward to several years in prison. But once again the proponents of religion demand a free pass. They're not subject to the laws of logic, after all -- why should they be subject to the laws of the lands in which they operate?

Jon J I think you need to wade through the actual documents themselves before stating something like "systematic coverup". Media reports that quote without context or even (at Times) factual reliability are not a substitute for the hard yakka of actually trawling through this stuff. Justice will not be served if we are prepared to conduct a trial 'by media'.

Justice for who, Gordo Pollo?

The accused? The abusers? Their protectors?

Or, the victims? The victims families? The Bishops and other church administrators who tried to do the right thing by the victims & their families, but were stymied by 'above'? ... or, stymied by threats of ex-communication (i.e. essentially sending the true-believers to hell!).

Here's a stymied Bishops dilemma

http://www.smh.com.au/world/rome-waited-to-ban-pedophile-priest-20100403-rkb7.html

Marry,
As Gordo Pollo says, this is an extremely complex affair, and I, an old man, admire your skill and determination to swim against the current of tendentious over-simplifications.