The reason the Pope resisted laicization of a man who had tied up and raped two children was the normal bureaucratic procedure, we are told. That's why it took two years. And yet, a bishop can be excommunicated and defrocked in a matter of three months.
The priest had merely raped children, you see; the bishop had married a woman, opposed mandatory celibacy and had ordained other priests.
Just to give you a sense of how the current Vatican sees the world and the priorities it sets. When the Vatican wants to act, it acts. When it doesn't really give a damn, it shows.
2006-2011 archives for The Daily Dish, featuring Andrew Sullivan