Here’s a disturbing story for you: a pastor who operated a small church in my hometown of Montreal was arrested for having married and engaged in sexual relations with a 10 year old. The now 57 year old Father Daniel Cormier insisted he was in love with the victim, who rightfully told the court she had no real understanding of what was happening at the time, apart from the physical abuse. He has now been convicted and will be spending a meager 5 years in jail.

His congregation was small, but many remember him as a father figure who was there to help people. I have to believe all his motives weren’t simply to abuse others. He must have convinced himself the relationship was something other than traumatic abuse. Only the most twisted logic could still convince the man there was anything consensual about this most egregious behavior.

This priest was given far too much power, and it is obvious he allowed his status in the community to completely cloud his judgment. It is becoming more and more obvious the status of priest is too great a responsibility to most men. The cloth is really actually a shield, and it protects people who should never benefit from such reverence. A priest is just as fallible and corruptible as any other, and the automatic respect and servility his congregants give him create a dangerous combination that make these kinds of tragedies often inevitable.