"as grave an offense as pedophilia"

  • New York Times, July 15, 2010, "Vatican Revises Abuse Process, but Causes Stir"

VATICAN CITY ― The Vatican issued revisions to its internal laws on Thursday making it easier to discipline sex-abuser priests, but caused confusion by also stating that ordaining women as priests was as grave an offense as pedophilia.


The decision to link the issues appears to reflect the determination of embattled Vatican leaders to resist any suggestion that pedophilia within the priesthood can be addressed by ending the celibacy requirement or by allowing women to become priests.

エントリタイトルとして引用した部分もすごいが、ここで問題にしたいのは "resist any suggestion that pedophilia within the priesthood can be addressed by ending the celibacy requirement" という部分。現にペドフィリア対策として独身制を止めることを提言している者がいるのか、それともヴァチカンが勝手に予想しているだけなのか知らないが、いずれにしても問題の理解そのものに疑問が残る。