Protect the children!

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The Los Angeles Archdiocese has agreed to pay $880 million to 1,353 people who say they were sexually abused as children. For a group of religious practitioners, it appears they didn’t read their Bible where Matthew 18:2-6 states “If anyone causes one of these little ones — those who believe in me — to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

How can people who are devoted to doing right, including protecting children from harm, do what they did? They can’t. These are evil people wearing the costume and speaking the words, but with blackened souls.

The $880 million will be felt but the real punishment will come when they get to the pearly gates and find they are heading downstairs because of their behaviour. Their time on earth should be spent in jail, as a response to their behaviour, and to prevent them doing anything more.

There are so many clergy who do so much good, but there are a few that let the team down.

DENNIS FITZGERALD

Box Hill, Vic

Melbourne, Australia