Sins of the Church.

The writing is clearly on the wall when church hierarchy of any denomination fail to take action to bring paedophiles in their ranks to justice. The days of simply moving them to another location are over.

Phillip Wilson is the most senior member of the Catholic Church to be found guilty of concealing priest Jim Fletcher's child sex crimes.  He received a twelve month prison sentence and this week that was commuted to be served by way of home detention.  He will have to wear a bracelet that will electronically reveal his whereabouts to prison authorities and he will become eligible for parole after a minimum six months.

This is a huge fall from grace.  Wilson was the Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide and he has since tendered his resignation and this has been accepted by the Pope.  Some victims of paedophile priests are angry that Wilson has not apologised for his actions and it seems likely that he will appeal his conviction.

There is no doubt that many parishioners were aware of paedophiles within the church - and said nothing.   That silence was to preserve the good name and dignity of this bastion of Christianity and it was deemed better to look the other way than bring the church into disrepute.  That attitude still exists in some congregations today, despite a more open attitude being aired by the Pope.

Phillip Wilson is an old man and he has served as the sacrificial lamb that has set an important precedent. By chance George Pell, who is high in the pecking order of Rome, will soon face court on charges that will again turn the spotlight on the church.  There is no going back to that age of silence. Victims who speak out will be listened to and the police will investigate without hindrance from their superiors.

Many Catholics think it is time the church gave new thought to its requirement that priests take a vow of celibacy.  That is an unnatural state that tends to encourage deviant behaviour and could be the reason that paedophilia is so common in priestly ranks.  There is also growing pressure for women priests.

That is a matter for the elders of the church to decide, but the mask of silence has been broken. The church hierarchy put themselves in personal peril if they fail to discharge their obligations and cover up sins within the priesthood.  This prosecution and its aftermath has sent a breath of fresh air coursing through those musty corridors.  The obligations are now clear to all.