I have thought about this issue as I was an altar boy for one mass
I am pretty sure the older more experienced altar boy who was teaching me the tasks was molested.
He ended up as a gambler, alcoholic and a sad case.
I suspect the priest rationalised ---that the good the priest did for the society outweighed the bad on an individual--- who could be seen as collateral damage
I reckon the Catholic Church also rationalised along these lines when they castrated kids to maintain their singing voice.
