BOSTON -- Boston’s Catholics have endured a lot of sad days and ugly stories across the past five years.

Predators in Roman collars were paraded through headlines and into courtrooms. The hierarchy -- one cardinal and a bunch of bishops -- was criminal in its contempt of the faithful, hundreds of children, as well as the law.

And now the sadness continues with the church’s decision to force Catholic Charities out of the adoption business. That happened after local church leaders were ordered by Rome -- not to allow Catholic Charities to place children with gay couples. Talk about an unchristian act!

But it’s understandable when you consider how the old men in Rome view the United States: as a cultural cesspool overflowing with immorality; a country where everything revolves around sex: books, movies, TV shows, language, politics, life itself. And they regard Massachusetts as the capitol for occasions of sin. Why? Simple. The Massachusetts Supreme Court decision to allow gay marriage. That made us a priority target for the pope. So any time Rome gets the chance to drop the doctrinal hammer and send a message not found in any missal, it’s going to be delivered here where the biggest problems the church has had in modern times were uncovered, hidden from public view by men who gave sermons on Sunday and obstructed justice during the week.

The problem with forcing Catholic Charities to bend to fear of sex rather than theology is that it hurts an organization that exemplifies what the church is all about: compassion, generosity and a belief in god’s goodness.

Adoption is a last resort. And gay couples are a tiny percentage of placements. The kids waiting for a home are often at the end of the line looking for a safe place to live. Christ’s life was about forgiveness and generosity. The gospels are about love and the larger lessons of life. Cracking down on adoption policies isn’t doctrine. It’s discrimination and it’s dumb as well as destructive for those still clinging to the old fashioned idea that the faithful represent the true church.