The Pope isn’t doing enough about the ongoing sexual / physical abuse of children. But neither are Protestant Christian denominations or other authoritarian religious regimes.

This is not surprising, since those kinds of worldviews think of children as the property of their parents / elders / invested adults. They may not come right out and say “we want children in our care to be sexually abused.” However, physical abuse (“spanking”, “paddling”, etc.) is pretty much endorsed. From there it’s not that far a leap for a sexually inappropriate adult to get themselves into a position of authority where they can then proceed straight to molestation and rape, not to mention adult parishoner sexual abuse.

So, no, basically.

* CONTENT WARNING: DESCRIPTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FOLLOW. *

Addendum: Ethical kinksters have correctly identified consensual spanking as a highly charged erotic activity. Many believe nonconsensual spanking isn’t assault. They are wrong (it is—sorry, no excuses), regardless of how they attempt to justify it. They’re also overlooking the fact that the human buttocks are a source of erotic interest and pleasure for a great many people. Consider how many religiously endorsed nonconsensual “spankings” are administered. The spankee is made to pull down their clothing and undergarments to expose the bare skin of their behinds. They are then told to bend over (often a table, desk, or chair), making the buttocks even more prominent to the spanker than they would usually be. In some instances, the spankee is made to bend over the lap of the spanker, putting them in close proximity to the spanker’s genitals. Now if you’re willing to overlook a child’s dignity, right to privacy, and bodily autonomy by physically abusing them, that’s one horrible thing. You’re also overlooking the potential erotic interest a sexually abusive religious authority would find in this kind of activity. Authoritarian religious adults with children, adolescents, and parishoners under their care are overlooking and ignoring the sexual assault their tacit endorsement of spanking embodies.

Addendum #2: It’s also no surprise that religiously abusive husbands / male religious authorities traditionally also spanked / spank their defiant wives / female parishoners, thinking of them as malfunctioning property … just the way they did / do with defiant children.