After the letter

The pope's letter could have been an awful lot worse. But why the secularisation piece? Child sexual abuse by clerics was going on a long time before the arrival of the motor car. And the cover up had been fine-tuned close to perfection long before that.

The forthcoming visitation could be scary. Is there a hint that there is need for a return to pre-Vatican II style seminaries? Will it be Legionaries of Christ Lite. But if so the Vatican will find itself in a real dilemma. There is at present a worrying trend taking shape in the 'formation' of priests.

The German situation of the priest being moved from Essen to Munich for therapy purposes needs further investigation. Are there no therapists in Essen? On the other hand, Munich is the capital of Bavaria.

Always dangerous to generalise, but if one sits down and does a study of the type of cleric who is sent on to study canon law a picture can be put together.

When it comes to a mix of legal rigidity and church conservative thinking then it is a most dangerous and potent cocktail.

Of course all canon lawyers cannot be painted with the same brush. But be assured there are canon lawyers out there who are inept, incompetent and down right odd.

Among a group of 25 16 to 17-year-olds living in Kerry, one went to Mass on Sunday.