The verdict on the Holy See’s compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was always bound to be a harsh one. The committee appointed to supervise the Convention found that the Vatican had failed to take appropriate action time and again, as the evidence mounted that the sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy was a widespread problem and that official responses had made it worse. Given the way the Vatican was gradually becoming a dysfunctional organisation, the extent of these failures is less surprising, though no less lamentable. The committee’s report reveals little that was not already known, and makes recommendations many of which have already been fulfilled. Nevertheless, the Vatican was right on Wednesday not to dismiss the report as simply ano