As a Catholic, not just a Catholic Priest, I have some concerns about the dogma and tenants of the Church that Catholics do not know and/or do not believe.  How does that translate to sexual abuse in the Church? Well here are my thoughts;

• A majority of parishioners do not believe that the Eucharist is the true body, blood, sole and divinity of God.  I have been told that there are some priests and bishops who likewise do not believe.  Remember transubstantiation?
• The perpetual virginity of Mary from her birth to her assumption is often scoffed at. Well if you don’t believe it you are really not Catholic.  I witnessed a permanent deacon give a homily calling this dogma into question.  I corrected him and he told me his spiritual director, a priest, told him that.
• When people are haranguing me about marriage I ask them the two components of Catholic marriage?  Inevitably they get it wrong and I then tell them to look it up so that they know what they are talking about.
• Sex for anyone outside of marriage is forbidden.  It isn’t even a struggle for most people they just willy-nilly have sex with whoever they want whenever they want.
• Keeping Sunday mass attendance is important.  Going to mass on Holydays and on Sundays has not been waved by the Church. It is still considered a mortal sin. (Another thing people don’t believe any longer.)  There are priests who have done a disservice to people by telling them that it’s okay if they don’t get to mass because their children are down, (I’m in a resort town.),  that is incorrect.  And Bobby having a baseball game or Kimberly playing soccer are not reasons to miss the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass no matter what some ill informed priest says.  The priest is wrong and not giving the true teaching of the Church.

With priests not embracing and loving the Church of Jesus Christ and not doing and living the way they are suppose to live, the way dictated by the Church, and spouting false teaching that goes against the true teachings of the Church is it a wonder that priests molested and bishops did nothing?