Clergy Misconduct Quotes
The official position of the church was against the child molestation and rape by pedophile priests as it was against artificial contraception. Harris based his conclusion on the effort the church leaders and priests were making for each of the two issues. While the Pope condemned in no uncertain terms the pedophilia of the priests, the sermons and the literature of the church dealt with contraception much more frequently. At the time, the church was still covering up the sex scandal and some church officials were still in denial as to the extent. When the Pope was a cardinal, he also contributed to the cover-up, claiming to be hamstrung by the limitations of cannon law with regard to defrocking perverted priests.
Although a Protestant Minister himself he called for major reform of the church. He made little headway except to inform public opinion. He died in prison where he was incarcerated for “libel and sedition” major crimes in England at that time which had no freedom of speech or of the press guaranteed by a Bill of Rights.
