Clerical abuse in US compounded by crimes and cover-ups

THE scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church in the United States are not only about paedophile abuse at parish level, or about covering up at a higher level, but also abuse at the highest level.

Three American cardinals are under investigation and no fewer than 10 bishops have resigned or retired under a cloud over sexual allegations.

The whole thing has been like a dam bursting, with a Catholic reform organisation, Roman Catholic Faithful (RCF), acting as a kind of vigilante group, exposing wrongdoing within the Church.