In recent months allegations and admissions of child abuse by priests have shaken the Roman Catholic Church to its core, as a continuous stream of cases has surfaced across Western Europe and beyond. Priest gives out Communion Experts say there is no evidence of a link between celibacy and abuse The Vatican has defended itself by suggesting this is a problem that affects society as a whole, and that the Church has now taken steps to deal with it – an approach that has often provoked more anger and frustration among critics who believe it systematically covered up many cases. With allegations still surfacing, there is no conclusive account of the extent of Catholic abuse worldwide or its causes. But current research and expert opinion suggest that men within the Catholic Church may be no more likely than others to abuse, and that the prevalence of abuse by priests has fallen sharply in the last 20-30 years. What has made the crisis stand out are the cover-ups and other alleged shortcomings in the way abuse was dealt with. ‘The real problem is an abuse of authority, the duty of care that pastors have to […]