[Sundae]

I was brought up Catholic, my parents and sister are still practicing Catholics and my Godfather is a priest.

None of the above condone paedophilia in any way, shape or form.
They are still Catholic because they believe what has happened is against the teaching of the Bible, against what Jesus stood for and against what the Catholic church really stands for.

They are frustrated and confused by the actions of corrupt members of the clergy, but still hold true to their own personal ideals, which they have formed through their own life experiences.

I'm not Catholic because I am an atheist. Simple.
But I come from a background where I have interacted with many, many Catholics.
The majority will be exactly like my family - distressed and disgusted by what has happened, but still believing that this is human sin, in the one holy and apostolic church, that Jesus is still the way the truth and the light and no-one can come to the Father except through him.

There are plenty of corrupt politicians - liars, homophobes who sleep with rent boys, family values men who get their secretaries pregnant, bribe takers etc etc etc. It doesn't kill the party they belong to.

I'm not condoning what has happened. I think the closeted world of the Catholic priesthood, especially the celibacy law is long outdated (it was introduced for the simple human mercenary reason of inheritance). I'm just trying to put the viewpoint of the good Catholics I know, and why they went to Mass today.