Because They couldn't get "nun" ?
(I will burn i hell for that joke I know - I just couldn't resisit.)
Perhaps because of the prohibition against marriage, re requirements of celibacy the priesthood has drawn more men who are just plain wired that way.
That is a very interesting question. I think children were chosen mainly because of their availabilty and vulnerability. I can't imagine a more shame based activity than for a priest to have sex with a child. That gets into a very dark cultural taboo area. Why it went on for so long has a lot to do with the hierarchy of the Catholic church itself - bishops and archbishops moving priests on from one parish to another rather than removing them from the system. For decades priests had absolute authority and respect and very few if anybody at that time questioned what they did.
pedophiles gravitate toward a profession that allows the parents to trust. It is a shame and hard to understand why this was allowed to conitnue. It is not just the Catholic Church but ALL churches and youth organizations so parents always be aware of the people you intrust with your child. Be proactive rather than reactive in all situations.
Vulnerability, ease of access, trust; my personal belief that is the perfect storm for those with a predilection of such behaviors. Wherever that trinity exists, be it a cleric, teacher, Boy Scout leader, etc. vigilance is the call of the day.
Men (and women) don't turn to children because they have taken a vow of celibacy. They have a prediliction toward children. There are plenty of priests (and nuns, I imagine) out there who have taken vows of celibacy and have ended up having sex with consenting adults.
Priests (and other clerics) are authority figures, in a position of trust who have, by virtue of their position, are in a perfect position to molest children. The children trust them, they believe that a priest (or other religious figure) wouldn't do anything to harm them (as do their parents), and that if they did tell, who would take their word over a religious authority?
As for the church covering it up and just moving the priests around - unjustiable and inexcusable, but I would suggest the reason was that they didn't want the church's good name and reputation smeared, let alone the lawsuits that have followed. Just my guess and my opinion...
And not that I'm Catholic, but the same thing has taken place in the public educational system as well - Complaints about a teacher? Suggest he or she turn in their resignation - no fuss, no muss and he or she moves is quietly hired by another school in a different jurisdiction.
I think there is an added ingredient in the mix when it comes to the public educational system. Because a teacher is in a position of allowing a child to pass and move on, or fail and be held back, they themselves are vulnerable to false accusations by a young person with a grudge against them. Things like that are often impossible to prove if a young person claims molestation by a teacher and sticks by their story, it is almost impossible to prove a negative.
I wonder how many innocent teacher's lives are ruined by false accusations? And it is not always true that the accused teacher can quietly get another teaching gig. Usually that stuff follows them forever.
