"We Must Put the Laity Back in Their Place..."

Such is the attitude of the US Catholic bishops now that they have approved the pope's policy and declared themselves "victorious" over sexual abuse in the Roman Church. They can throw off the phony mantle of humility they've been wearing, and re-assert their position as masters over the Catholic laity as they are accustomed to.

We see one way in which the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is addressing this "problem" in an editorial titled, "Good Guys vs. The Bad Guys," in the November 22 issue of the 'Pittsburgh Catholic.'

Fearing the rise this year of independent Catholic lay groups (Roman priests hate it when people actually think for themselves), the editorial warns that dividing the laity and clergy has always been the tactic of "fundamentalists" and "pro-abortion forces." The editorial says, "In recent months we have seen this phenomenon in reporting (by the media) on the bishops' response to the clergy sexual abuse scandal."

The Pittsburgh diocese makes several points in this editorial:

1. It continues to attack the media for even reporting this story.

2. Makes Catholics feel guilty for not recognizing, "This thinly veiled anti-Catholic propaganda...as any old timer would know." Once again, Rome wants people to get their eyes off the real issue, lustful priests. In Catholic thinking, protecting your children is "anti-Catholic."

3. Lumps any Catholic who would protect his children from the sexual desires of priestly, Roman predators in the same boat with "fundamentalists" and "pro-abortion forces."

4. Demonizes any Catholic lay association interested in protecting children from priests as "anti-Catholic."

Catholic parents have a choice - to place their children under the protection of Roman priests, or the under the protection of Jesus Christ ALONE.