I categorise offending people because of their religious feeling roughly with offending people because of the colour of their skin.

But religion is a matter of political opinion and therefore up for debate and criticism - whereas race, sexuality and other fundamentals aren't.

As for the Pope: the point in Ireland was very much that the Catholics owned the police and judiciary so cases never came to prosecution at all.

Legal repression was unnecessary - until recently, at which point there was so much evidence, so much media coverage and so many angry people that it was too late.

That's the usual religious MO anyway. If there's an actual court case or negative media coverage, something has not gone according to plan.

But that doesn't always work so well any more. How about this re: Vatican leaks?