The Times reports that, in a 1997 letter, the Vatican instructed Irish bishops not to report pedophile priests to the police.

Why? Because, according to the letter, “The results could be highly embarrassing….”

The Vatican is spinning this document as no big deal, which it clearly is. And there are signs that the more things change…

Even now, however, the Vatican has refrained from imposing rules for the church worldwide that would mandate reporting clergy accused of abuse to civil authorities. The reason, Vatican officials say, is that in some repressive countries that are hostile to the Catholic church, government officials could use abuse allegations as a pretext to persecute Catholic clergy.

In other words…bugger away!