The Vatican is fighting off another storm of demands that it jettison the celibacy rule for priests as yet another wave of priestly pedophilia sweeps Europe, just as it has in Ireland, the US and our own Hunter Region. The Pope says celibacy is not up for negotiation, and the cardinal heading the Vatican's department of priesthood throws this light on his stance: "Priestly celibacy is a gift of the Holy Spirit, which must be understood and experienced with a fullness of feeling and joy, in a total relationship with the Lord." The cynical among you might like to replace the word celibacy with pedophilia.

In my column in The Herald today I argue that it is a nonsense, and an insult to men, to claim that celibacy leads men to sexually abuse boys, and, yes, boys are much the preferred victim for pedophile priests. Instead, I say, the celibacy rule is just one of the Catholic Church's environmental factors that attract men who are most likely to be pedophiles. Some people hold that the Catholic Church has historically regarded a sexual relationship with a boy as not breaching celibacy, and while I don't know whether that is the case it is a possible explanation for the church's historic and unforgivable tolerance and protection of pedophile priests.

Other environmental factors include the ready and often private access to children (and traditionally altar boys) and the extreme reluctance of the faithful to challenge or even doubt a priest.

This environment is a dream run for pedophiles, while at the same time it will discourage many men who are not pedophiles. The terrible stigma attached now to the priesthood, and very unfairly to all priests, will discourage more than many men who are not pedophiles.

If the Catholic Church can be rescued, it will not be by jettisoning the celibacy rule, although that would be a move forward. Rather, it would be by women as priests, bishops and pope. What say you? And is the Catholic Church, and any church for that matter, worth saving?