It should not surprise anyone to discover wickedness among the ranks of the Catholic priesthood. Everyone with a modicum of self-awareness already knows that wickedness is endemic to the human condition. For most of us, it is as easy to be selfish, angry, lustful or power-hungry as it is simply to be – a disposition toward evil seems our perpetual condition, and acting on that disposition seems to come rather naturally.
Nor should any of us be surprised by systemic injustice, inequity, self-protection or ineptitude among the Church’s leadership. Anyone who has spent time in human communities knows that they are quickly given over to gossip, backbiting, power struggles and self-protection. Our species is not a natural meritocracy, much less any kind of virtue-cracy. Most of us realise that occupying a position of leadership is no guarantee of suitability for leadership – our experience teaches us quite the contrary, in fact.
