The Roman Catholic Diocese of Philadelphia yesterday suspended 21 priests from active ministry. The suspended priests are being investigated for sexual abuse of minors and others in their care.

Is there no end to this sordid affair? Since 2002, reports of abuse have continued to grow, hundreds of priests are under investigation, thousands of victims demand justice, and the Catholic Church has paid out enormous sums in retribution to aggrieved parties. The stain on the honor of Christ and the Gospel is deep, ugly, and growing. Just about the time we catch our breath from the last revelation, a new one emerges which is more stunning still.

Roman Catholic theology teaches that the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church is an essential component of what it means to be the Church. While Catholics - many, at any rate - will recognize believers ourside the Catholic Church as "separated brethren", they still regard them as not quite fully in communion with the Lord, because they are not in the Roman Catholic Church and submissive to its hierarchy.

There is no Biblical basis for the Roman Catholic view of church structure, or, church government. Were that the case, we would expect Peter to have been presiding at the Council in Jerusalem, rather than reporting to it and awaiting its judgment. And, if Peter was, indeed, the first "pontiff" of the Christian movement, then would he, or those attending him, have suffered the public rebuke leveled at him by Paul in Antioch?

The emergence of the Roman hierarchy is a third- and fourth-century development, buttressed by political maneuvering and heretical emergency. It has no basis in Scripture.

And now, the sex abuse revelations that are being uncovered all over the world should make it difficult for Catholics to continue to argue that their ecclesiastical structure represents the locus of identity for the true Body of Christ. After all, that structure bred this problem, sustained it for years, and, as seems evident, helped to cover it up. All of which caused thousands of young men and women to be subjected to abuse of the grossest nature. Can any structure which provides a context for such wickedness be seriously regarded as having the divine imprimatur?

It's good, of course, that Catholic authorities are finally moving to correct these abuses. It's inexcusable that they were allowed to occur, then swept under the table, while thousands of victims struggled to maintain any sense of dignity or anything like a sincere faith.

I don't wish the Roman Catholic Church to go away. I wish it would be humbled by all this, and lay aside its theological arrogance toward other communions of Christians. And, for the sake of the Gospel, I wish the Catholic hierarchy would bring this whole dreary and tragic situation to a speedy close, with apologies, repentance, resignations, indictments, and jail time for offenders - no matter their level in the hierarchy - and justice for all who have been victimized by a structure that tyrannizes, takes advantage, and still somehow manages to tout its putative superiority over the rest of Christendom.

Additional related texts: Acts 15.1-22; Titus 1.1-13

A conversation starter: "The Catholic Church owes many people apologies - and justice - for the sex abuse scandal. But don't you think they should seriously re-think the way their Church is structured?"

T. M. Moore