The Catholic League’s president, Bill Donohue, has written all of us a long letter which features in a full page ad in today’s New York Times.  Criticism of the church is outlandishly overblown, he argues, citing Philip Jenkins, a 2004 John Jay study (funded by the USCCB), and Robert S. Bennett of the Catholic National Review Board; he laments “assaults on priests” by the likes of George Lopez and the ladies at The View.

It’s a plea for preferential treatment and a hands-off policy regarding offending priests, but couched as a plea for consistency.  Donohue cites a number of other programs and organizations that address violations, albeit not pedophilia, in ways similar to what the Catholic Church has done.  What makes pedophilia so forgivable in the Church’s cases?  Most of the kids were post-pubescent, according to the John Jay study.  Had Donohue exercised slightly less restraint he would have simply asked why all those homo-loving liberals are so upset about homo priests copping a couple feels.  And it was so long ago!  (I admit holding out hope, as I read, that he would blame Vatican II.)

In the next-to-last paragraph, Donohue writes:

What accounts for the relentless attacks on the Church? Let’s face it: if its teachings were pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and pro-women clergy, the dogs would have been called off years ago.

And by dogs, he’s not referring to Richard Dawkins.

(h/t TPM)