This is an attempt to treat fire with fire, rape with rape: Spiritual rape is even worse than physical rape.

But of course, politicians never truly cared for the victims of rape - only for their own seats from which they can rape the ordinary people.

What this will do in practice, is to stop confession altogether, forcing people to travel overseas to confess. Most priests would not dare to risk jail, so they will no longer conduct confessions, some will go underground while the best will become martyrs, bearing the cross and gaily filling the jails.

There is of course a section of the population who will rejoice at such outcomes for sheer hatred of religion. While they won't get a single report to police, this was never their intention in the first place.

What the dickens is Yuyutsu on about?

I remind him that the church is a construct of man, not a creation of God.

Indeed, if a church or, if he prefers, The Church, chooses to go its own way as it has so often in this matter, then it leaves the State, who actually run this joint, no choice but to act.

Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's... etc.

My advice to him is to be patient. If his views of matters eternal are correct, then after his 3 score plus 10 conforming to democracy's law, he may have the whole of eternity by celestial rules. His time will come. I, on the other hand, will be but ashes strewn to the winds.

Clergy have in my view forfeited any claim to have special rules applied to them that don't apply to other professions that care for children.

Other professions (teachers, nurses etc) have mandatory reporting of child abuse, and it's high time that clergy were subject to the same rules. This is doubly the case when clergy hold leadership positions in schools and other institutions that care for children.

Such rules should be blind to religion. Priests, ministers, rabbis and imams should have a mandatory reporting requirement, just as nurses, social workers and teachers do on the basis that all of these professions involve the care and leadership of children.

As I said elsewhere, if a law is passed requiring priests to reveal what is told to them in Confession then the Pope can make the law irrelevant with a few strokes of the pen.

If anyone at all fails to report the abuse of a child that person is sick. If the Pope makes that stoke of the pen which some people think overrules the law of the land , the Pope is sick too.

It is time our children were freed from parental and peer pressure to trust sick individuals.

Not only should people who abuse children be gaoled. So should the people who fail to take those measures which would prevent such abuse.

They all should be kept in a cage.

Dear Engineer,

It is not "The Church" for me because I am not even a Christian.

Yes, the churches should leave the state alone as they have been involved in its power-games and feeding on its teats for far too long. Likewise, the state should also leave the churches alone.

Yes, Render Unto Caesar that which is theirs: my money may be theirs, but not my conscience.

You speak about "celestial rules" as if earth is exempt from divine law, but it is not.
As a Hindu I am not interested in the celestial realms, which are only a distraction and a complete waste of time. If I fail to complete my journey to God during this lifetime on earth, then I will sadly need to return to this same earth again and again until I do.

Now if by informing the regime I create suffering, if my actions cause someone to be imprisoned, then not only would it block my spiritual path, but I would also have to bear that karma and be imprisoned myself either in this lifetime or in future.

Doomed to jail either way, as a private person I can at least try to shut my eyes and ears in such matters, but Christian priests cannot afford this luxury. I suppose they could hang a big sign saying "No confessions or absolution for child abusers and victims, please", but what if people fail to follow those signs, sending their poor priest to prison regardless?

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Dear JBSH,

«Clergy have in my view forfeited any claim to have special rules applied to them»

Then there should indeed be no special rules: nobody, regardless of profession or standing, should be forced to serve as an informant to the regime against their conscience.

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Dear Old Man,

Anyone who challenges the secular regime, be they a pope or otherwise, who is not even afraid of your threats and abuse, is a hero.

What you ask is to abuse innocent and peaceful people for refusing to serve your regime. Suits you to live in North Korea.