I have to say I was blown away by his sensitive, subtle and unflinching examination of the horrors of the Rotherham case – almost a model of conservative doubt and insight. And his defense against those who might be arguing that he is somehow covering for the Catholic hierarchy was just as subtle and deep. Money quote:
[A]ny wisdom drawn from the Catholic experience won’t take the form of some easy checklist for avoiding predation and abuse elsewhere in Six Easy Steps or Less. But what the complexity of the Catholic experience, the sheer mystery of the iniquity that unfolded within the church, can teach the wider world is twofold: First, the importance of vigilance no matter what kind of institution or environment you inhabit, and second, the necessity of being unsurprised.
The difficulty here is seeing child abuse as something far broader and more dangerous in society than merely in the Catholic church, while not dismissing or rationalizing or in any way looking away from the Catholic experience in this. I can’t imagine two better columns that manage to do just that.
The Dish 