Just a couple of comments.
First, I am appalled by child molestation, even if the children are teens. I consider it a violent crime, and they do not seem to be rehabilitatable. Thus, if I were king, I would have them executed. Furthermore, I would outlaw ALL marriages under 18, since this is the most common way for perpetrators to have access to their victims without consequence.
That said, I think it is worth noting that pedophilia (sex with pre-adolescent children) is not more common among Catholic priests than the general public. The reason for the outcry is that these are supposed to be moral leaders, so we hold them to a higher standard. Furthermore, the majority of the problem was not pedophilia, but pederasty (adult men having sex with teen boys), which is a homosexual thing. I am not saying it is any better, just different in nature.
Next thought -- pedophilia is a problem wherever children exist, and people seem to opt for covering it up and protecting the institution. This has been the case with the Boy Scouts, Little league, teachers in schools, etc. So its not really a Catholic Church problem, its a human being problem.
Next thought -- the Catholic Church to its credit has made major changes. I don't think it will ever completely eliminate the problem because human beings just do evil things. But I do believe it will cut it way down. For example, all employees of the Catholic church, whether paid or volunteer, are now required to go through training on how to spot abuse and report it. I am also aware that they now screen applicants for seminary to exclude any that give indication of pedophilia or homosexuality. I would say that at this present moment, a catholic church is probably one of the safest places for kids to be.
