It’s strange that the senior clergy in the Catholic Church are seen by so many as something resembling pimps. Yes, they walk the streets in colorful and provocative garb. Sure, their professional patter is bizarre and unintelligible. Absolutely, their ability to amass mountains of money without lifting a finger is enviable. And as we know, the innocents used to fulfill the sexual needs of their friends tally a remarkable number. A number effortlessly growing into the tens of thousands.

For many the workings of the Church simply look like a racket, an enterprise that survives by trading the hard work of ecclesiastical service for the serial and exotic thrill of raping children.

But these bishops and such are good people. You see? By contrast the allegations are way too awful to be true. The folks whose job it is to learn us about Christ, the saints and grace couldn’t possibly be party to satisfying the hair-raising desires of the world’s most unfathomably detestable and disgusting men.

A prominent New York-based friar has sympathy for some pedophiles — including defrocked priests and former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky — saying they are sometimes “seduced” by their underage victims. . .

In some of these cases, children “looking for a father figure” are responsible for the relationship with someone in a position of power — like a coach or clergy member, [Father Benedict] Groeschel told the National Catholic Register.

They would have at least noticed.

“Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster – 14, 16, 18 – is the seducer,” said Groeschel, a founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

Pressed on the point, Father Groeschel says “It’s not so hard to see – a kid looking for a father and didn’t have his own – and they won’t be planning to get into heavy-duty sex, but almost romantic, embracing, kissing.”

And they would never allow it to go on.

“I’m inclined to think, on their first offense, they should not go to jail because their intention was not committing a crime.”

He also has some sympathy for Jerry Sandusky, convicted in June of 45 counts of sexual abuse of boys.

“Here’s this poor guy – Sandusky – it went on for years. Interesting: Why didn’t anyone say anything?”

See? Weird. None of this makes sense.