I was disgusted when handed a pamphlet Tuesday at the corner of College and Allen that blames the recent abuse of children not on the depravity of priests, but on homosexuals.

"We all know the truth: The vast majority of the exposed scandals are cases of pedophilic homosexuality, and thus a particularly heinous spillover of the more widespread problem of homosexuality," the pamphlet reads. "Large sectors of the media, however, choose to gloss over the homosexuality and highlight the pedophilia."

This revolting piece of propaganda goes on to blame the media for degrading the Catholic Church when "it makes scant attempt to show the other side of the coin, namely the sublimity of the Catholic priesthood as reflected in its saints down through the ages."

The other side of the coin? Let's set the record straight: The Church itself has made Catholicism a dirty word, not the media or the public at large. Read a history book to learn of the hideous misdeeds of the papacy throughout history. When Catholics blame homosexuals for the horrendous sins of the clergy, and the media for the negative image of the church, they are fooling themselves. It's offensive and deplorable that the gay community should become a scapegoat for the depraved actions of a religion that shirks responsibility and avoids enacting zero-tolerance guidelines because it interferes with church law. Gay bashing to create a smoke screen in the wake of the current scandal doesn't cast a favorable light on the papacy.