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The Evening Post
April 9, 2002
Pope has taken the first step
Letter to the Editor
by Jack Mulheron, Paekakariki
AT
the same time as you published my letter on the sexual conduct of clergy
(Letters, March 7), the Pope broke his silence on the wave of child sexual
scandals involving priests, saying their abuse of minors was the "worst
form of evil possible" and cast a dark "shadow of suspicion"
over the entire Church.
My letter, which showed some sympathy for the beleaguered clergy, attracted a
personally abusive response from Leigh Thompson who accused me of taking a
"pot shot at religion".
Now it seems that the Pope admits the problem I was addressing. I am very
pleased. It is the first necessary step.
Now the leaders of the world's religions should change their unrealistic laws
which I suggested were at the heart of the problem.
They demonise contraception and call the innocent, harmless, universal practice
of masturbation "a grievous social sin". They pile on the guilt and
in this is the harm.
The famous English psychologist A S Neill of
"Don't worry," he said, "it won't make them blind or deaf, nor
will it make them insane or lead to early death, or even telltale pimples.
After all, it didn't do us any harm did it?" (Abridged)