The spinmeisters of the Vatican apparatus want the world to believe that the massive homosexual priest scandal now erupting in dioceses around the world is just "an American problem."

       That claim is about as believable as the Vatican’s claim that the Third Secret vision of a Pope and many priests, bishops and religious being executed by a band of soldiers signifies Pope John Paul II not being killed by a lone assassin.

        The truth, of course, is that this scandal is worldwide — from North America, to South America, to Western and Eastern Europe - and even "down under" in Australia.

        As reported by Associated Press on May 31, "the Catholic Church in Australia was embroiled in a child sex scandal Friday after its most senior clergyman denied offering bribes to cover up abuse allegations against a priest."

        According to AP, "Sydney Catholic Archbishop George Pell told a news conference Thursday that a television news program to be aired this weekend alleges that he tried to cover up sex abuse claims made against a priest in 1993 by offering the victim financial assistance in return for his silence." Pell denies that he offered any such bribes.

        Pell himself, however, stated at the press conference that the news program will detail how "he was told in 1993 of abuse by a priest who pleaded guilty a year later to sexually assaulting 21 children - mostly altar boys and including his nephew - in one of Australia's most notorious pedophile scandals. The program says that the case was brought to Pell’s attention by the nephew."

        Pell admits that he knew of the matter, from the nephew, "but said that their phone conversation took place after the priest, Gerald Ridsdale, had already been charged with child sex offenses. Ridsdale pleaded guilty in 1994 to 46 sexual assault charges and was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison." Pell specifically denied that he asked the priest’s nephew, David Ridsdale, "what it would take ‘to keep you quiet’ and went on to offer him a car or house."

        The show’s producer, John Westacott, responds that "I’m not here to prosecute the Catholic Church; we’ve got the story of ... people that were treated, have been treated, are being treated extremely badly. It seems to me that the politics and legal requirements have been put well and truly above common decency."

        Who is telling the truth about the bribery? Time will tell. Meanwhile, however, we can dispense with the claim that this is only "an American problem." The Church’s immune system has been shut down almost everywhere by the "opening to the world" at Vatican II, which included opening most of the seminaries of the world to homosexuals.

        Only when the Church becomes a fortress again, and Her invaders are expelled through strict discipline, will things be set right. For that to happen we will need to see the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary - the very thing held in disdain by the current Vatican apparatus, which presides over this debacle while doing nothing about it.