Spiritual Penetration

To the Church of Rome's little embarrassments in Ireland, Italy, France, Canada and other countries must now be added some five thousand little indiscretions in Portugal, where a Church-commissioned inquiry has published another of those reports. The head of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference approved the document as "dramatic," and was able to spare one whole thought for the victims, although it remains as yet unclear how deeply the episcopal stipends will be slashed in order to pay due compensation. On a more exalted level, the Bishop of Rome is scheduled to visit Lisbon in the summer, and may well condescend to make the usual noises.