Slow Response

Why was the church so slow to respond to the sex abuse issue? Why did the church move priests about who had messed up? Look at the Reformation for when this behavior became entrenched. The Protestant Reformers had some valid points of criticism when it all began in the 16th century. The church ignored and then denied these criticisms. The church felt that it had to protect the reputation of the church. It could not admit fault or error. It would not be the "Perfect Society" anymore. People would drift away. Power would be lost. Chaos would ensue and so on.

If a priest messed up, the reputation of the church would be upset if it were made public. The Reformation was 500 years ago. This is a long time to practice denial or cover up. The church is trying to come out of this and become a bit more transparent at least in the sex abuse issues. It takes awhile for a big institution as old as the church to change.