Holy week has come and gone with many faithful reflecting and meditating. But one man has remained quiet about the scandal roiling the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict continues his silence on allegations that he personally failed to address cases of abuse among his charges. And while the sex abuse scandal is focused on Europe this time around, it’s a familiar story state-side, where dioceses have dealt with allegations of abuse for decades. What if there was a way to prevent the abuse in the first place? Psychologist Thomas Plante has treated both victims and clergy involved in abuse cases, and a professor of psychology at Santa Clara University. He gives us insight into why priests commit acts of sexual abuse.

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