The 'entertainment industry' did it -- Here's a sincere message from the heart, but I disagree about the 'entertainment industry' part. Every inch of it. I know I'm supposed to say, 'Oh, yes, it's the entertainment, secular society that did it.' But I ain't going to do it. This was a total, complete, absolute, undeniable failing of a non-entertainment, non-secular Catholic church that said one thing, but did another. Don't point fingers. I will have nothing to do with such a sham. The scandal was the church leadership's own utter, complete moral failing. Nothing else. It's now becoming clear that Cardinal Cushing was involved in this, as horrifying as it may seem (and is) to many elder Catholics. It stretches across decades. Decades. Well before the '60s. Want to open up that can of pre-secular worms? But, nevertheless, here's the message from the reader (and I still agree with so much of it, especially the part about not feeling any sense of triumph or satisfaction, or about the sympathy felt towards honest priests): "I personally do not feel any sense of triumph or satisfaction. Just sadness. All I want to do for today is remember the good priests. As of today, they can begin to get back to what they do and have done throughout the long years of their vocations. ... And last, but not least, patiently enduring the mockery and abuse that is heaped on their vocation and profession by our otherwise oh-so-tolerant culture. Just when they thought they could take a few minutes out of the day to sit back and enjoy a little television in the evening -- they get to be hectored and lectured by the morally superior auteurs of our entertainment industry.”

Writer of above link that elicited my original response: "Sorry if it came across like I was 'blaming' the entertainment industry; I was more pointing out that the good priests will have to bear a lot of the ridicule and mockery this hideous mess is inevitably going to bring about -- on top of a grueling job, the reality of which virtually never gets depicted with any objectivity or reality in the movies or TV." ... Hub Blog's response: Sorry if I overreacted to you. In fact, I did. My apologies. I thought it was a beautiful piece. But my item still makes sense (though it was sparked for the wrong reason), in that we've been hearing a lot today, at least in Boston, about how gays, Cafeteria Catholics, the secular society etc. are the ones really to blame for the scandal. The 'dope' (posted in the update item below) really set me off. I fear a 'counter offensive' coming from the church and their knee-jerk partisans. They still don't seem to get it, with their talk of gays, Voice of the Faithful, abortion, secularism, Cafeteria Catholicism, Hollywood, as if they can all be tied into a coherent whole to explain away the church's looking the other way in the face of the priests' molesting of little boys. They're looking for scapegoats.

Response of Reader No. 1's No. 1: "I just think the timing of Law's resignation is of particular interest. With less than two weeks to Christmas, why not roll this announcement out. It may just get the Boston Archdiocese an extra cash boost. Human nature suggests that people tend to be more generous during this time of year. After all, where do people go on Christmas besides to their families and friends for a celebration? They go to church! I remember growing up and even today my parents reiterate that everyone goes to church on Christmas, 'people you haven't seen all year, attend.' So in the spirit of the season, the spin could be, we have got rid of some of the problem, there is more work to be done, so won't you please come and help out those Catholic Charities!"
  ¶ 3:20 PM