Among the odd notes in B16’s letter on sex abuse crisis is where he offers an excursus on the proper reading of Mk 9:42 (better if a great millstone): not about innocent children, but protecting the faithful from the “intellectual arrogance of those who think they are clever.”

Yes I was struck by that. And by how canon law was imbalanced not by preferring rights of accused to rights of victims, but by not including faith as a good. Neither in his millstone reading or elsewhere are victims mentioned.

For Francis reality is greater than ideas. For Benedict it is the opposite. Unfortunately sex abuse is a reality.