These questions have come up many times in courts across the country. Another not so hypothetical. Most of us agree that there were hundreds of thousands if not millions of Jews killed in Concentration Camps in Nazi Germany. So who was responsible? Was it only the person who pulled the lever to let the gas escape into the chambers. Was it only those who witnessed the gassing and the resulting death. Was it the German government and Hitler who gave the orders. Was it the German people, who knew what was going on and did nothing. I also believe in individual responsibility. But their is also a collective responsibility. Every pope since 1922 and probably before that knew that their was widespread child sexual abuse occurring. They chose to do nothing. Almost every Bishop in the world knew about the abuse and the cover up and chose to do nothing. Many, many  priests knew children were being abused in their own rectories and Churches. They chose to look the other way.