The statement... defended [the Vatican's] record by claiming that "available research" showed that only 1.5%-5% of Catholic clergy were involved in child sex abuse.

[Also,] ...most US churches being hit by child sex abuse allegations were Protestant and that sexual abuse within Jewish communities was common.

So there you go. The Vatican says its handling of its paedophilia crisis is not really an issue because:

1. it "only" involves 1.5-5% of the clergy
2. Other religions do it just as bad.

Are you kidding me? I'm not letting other religions off the hook (or atheist pedophiles for that matter), but that's a disgusting excuse from the Vatican. It would have been smarter to say nothing rather than use this "defense".