[See also other articles by Gustavo Arellano.]

Pick up this newspaper this Thursday, when this reporter will have a more in-depth take on the Orange diocese's settling four more sex-abuse cases for about $7 million. In the meanwhile, allow your humble servant to rail about the latest foot-in-mouth case of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown.

Today, Associated Press reporter Gillian Flaccus filed a report from Newport Beach, where three of the four victims came forth to face the cameras. She also interviewed Brown, who's scheduled to appear in Orange County Superior Court tomorrow to face a contempt-of-court hearing. Flaccus asked His Excellency about the fact that about 15 percent of all the Orange diocese's settled sex abuse cases dealt with Mater Dei and Santa Margarita high schools. "I'm sorry it happened in those two schools, it should not have happened there," Brown responded. "But statistically they are not worse than anybody else."

Where have we read this before...oh, yes! The Orange County Register Letters to the Editor section today! We turn the mike over to John Richardson of Mission Viejo after the jump:

The Tuesday, Oct. 4, issue of the Register had an article on page 7 of the Local section titled: "Ex-athletic director gets jail for sex with girl, 14." He was a teacher at Mission Viejo Christian School.

The article, buried in the second section, is in sharp contrast to the front-page coverage given to any sexual abuse news about the Catholic Church. Even Steven Greenhut and Frank Mickadeit have taken their shots at the church and Bishop Brown in recent columns. I would be the first to say that those shots are probably well-deserved. But where is the level playing field?

Why do the Register and the media find it so necessary to down the Catholic Church, but relegate the sexual-abuse problems of other Christian denominations and schools to the back pages?

It's a tried-and-true defense by church apologists to point the finger at other abusers in society rather than take responsibility for the Church's sins. Again (and we'll spare you the links): it's the Catholic Church, not other churches, who claim to care for sex-abuse victims, then subject them to eight-day depositions. It's the Church who claims holiness and spends thousands of dollars on Covenants with the Faithful, only to change it at a whim. It's the Catholic Diocese of Orange that's the biggest bunch of hypocrites since Clarence Thomas. We can go on, but we'll stop here: tune in tomorrow for more!

E-mail: GARELLANO@OCWEEKLY.COM