The High Court in London recently ruled that “the Catholic Church can be held liable for the wrongdoings of its priests”.

The study of morals was then deemed essential to the preparation of lawyers- Mgr Anton Gauci, Victoria

Naturally, I understand that this same ruling holds good also for the Anglican Church. And, for that matter, for any other Church.

I imagine the judge concerned might not be familiar with God’s words in Scripture: “The soul that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The .justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezechiel 18, 20).

These words are diametrically opposed to the judge’s ruling. I do not think that relations between father and son could, by any stretch of the imagination, be held as less “vicariously liable” than those between bishops and priests.

Would we hold as “vicariously liable” and thus condemn headmasters, prime ministers, employers in factories or heads of government departments for claims of sexual assaults “as a child” by individuals against teachers, members of parliament, employees in factories or clerks in government departments?

We have read that lawyers for the alleged victim have raised the question “on whether the relationship between a Catholic priest and his bishop is akin to an employment relationship.”

Does this mean that, according to these lawyers, an “employment relationship” would justify condemning employer or bishop for secret “wrongdoings” of their subalterns committed long ago, which eventually come to light? That would be nothing short of an unbelievable travesty of justice.

I firmly believe – and expect – that Catholic and Protestantbishops in Britain will not accept such court rulings. Not only, but that they also strongly protest against them by all means at their disposal, not excluding recourse to both Houses of Parliament.

The quotation from the prophet Ezechiel is one of many of the same nature and teaching which Scripture has given us. In the Law of Moses we read that: “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: but every man shall die for his own sins.” (Kings 14, 6). And elsewhere: “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, both are abominable before God” (Proverbs 17, 15).

When I was following a law course at the University, one of our subjects was ethics. The study of morals was then deemed essential to the preparation of lawyers. I am not aware that this is so today.

It is no secret that not all priests are worthy of their name. It is not impossible to come across individuals who would intentionally put their bishops in deep water.

In the US, years ago, a society traditionally hostile to the Catholic Church put into Catholic seminaries a thousand of their children with the intention of undermining the Church from within.

Would it then be justice if the Church were to be held liable for the “shortcomings” of these priests? Apart from all this, I am sure all know that the Church’s money is not “the bishops’ money”.

The Church is the entire people of God!