"When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected."

Remember that quote? That was from Rick Santorum, who wrote in 2002 on Catholic Online that the molestation and cover-up scandal in the Catholic Church was caused by liberalism.

"When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political, and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm."

I actually agree with Rick's basic premise here: Corruption spreads.

I, on the other hand, feel that the culture that was "sick" in the case of the clergy scandal was the body of the priesthood. This wasn't an "anything goes" attitude at work, but powerful men, acting in secret who allowed a bad thing to become worse, to grow and metastasize while they looked the other way--or actively covered it up--for their own selfish reasons. As a Catholic, it hurts me to say that, but I can only be honest about the issue and hope the cancer of abuse has been cut away.

Today, though, we have a similar scandal. Powerful men looked the other way when confronted with the possibility that one of their own was a danger.

Rick Santorum is right. The "sick" culture of Republican leadership in this country must end.

As Matthew writes (7:15-20):

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.