In this article John Allen very helpfully analyzes Pope Benedict’s role in the sex abuse crisis which continues for the Catholic Church. Errr. Guess what? The Todd Unctuous folks in the MSM are getting it almost exactly backwards. Rather than being the chief cover upper, Benedict was one of the first Vatican officials to begin to get a grasp on the horror and do something about it. Damian Thompson sheds light on the New York Times’ attempt to smear Pope Benedict with the child abuse case of Fr Murphy in Wisconsin. Read his comments and the Vatican explanation here. Archbishop Nichols of Westminster also explains in the Times Online with simplicity and clarity that the Pope was one of the ones active in dealing with the abuse, and that in England less than half of one percent of Catholic priests were accused of child abuse and fewer were convicted.

UPDATE: Read George Weigel on the attack by the NY Times. Deacon Greg reminds us of the widespread child abuse going on in America’s schools here.