Church’s failure to deal with child abuse has tarnished innocent clergy

IN reply to James McGrath (Letters, March 15), if the Catholic Church doesn’t think worshippers are to blame for priests raping children, why did the Bishop of Ferns ask worshippers to pay a “rape tax”?

If, as Mr McGrath says, the church is made up of sinners, why would any moral person want to be a member? And can he explain why no bishop knew that raping children was wrong despite all of them being born into and raised by a Christian family, living in a Christian country ruled by Christian laws, educated in a Christian school by Christian teachers, studied in a Christian seminary and spent years preaching Christian values in a Christian church?

Time and time again, when confronted with a clerical child abuser and given the choice between protecting the church and protecting children, every bishop chose to protect the church. Christian values are valueless when they value institutions above children.