Given that the Catholic Church worldview owes more to ancient Greek philosophy rather than scripture, it is rather surprising that one of the most famous phrases in philosophy, ‘know thyself’, has yet to be taken on board by the Vatican in the context of the child abuse scandals. The words, written on the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi by the Seven Sages of Greece, and espoused by Plato, who taught that the essence of knowledge is self-knowledge, suggest that when scandal occurs, looking to ‘thyself’ is where any reappraisal should begin. While notably active in the context of quashing the discussion about women in ministry, as well as any other issues that strike at the heart of teaching on sexuality, such as homosexuality, priestly celibacy and so on, the Vatican has shown a marked reluctance to address the issue of abuse adequately. It can be argued that this is because it is an issue that incorporates an investigation that must necessarily include Church thinking on celibacy and sexuality.