Why does Vatican keep protecting tainted priests?

Because it’s a pedophile ring. That’s why the Catholic Church exists. To protect pedophiles.

I am dead serious.

What money making business wants to suddenly lose 90% of their workforce?

The Vatican aka God’s Little Boy Brothel

There’s more than a little truth to the above answers. The Church is in a time of plummeting numbers in incoming clergy. And it should come as no surprise that there are a number of social misfits lurking in the priesthood, where hiding has been a recognized tactic since the time of Christ Himself. In its defense, I must state that the Church itself is one huge bumbling bureaucracy, and scrubbing the outfit of pedophiles is akin to rooting out misogyny in the armed forces. There will be pockets of resistance on top of the overall urge common to us all in covering up scandal.

As @stanleybmanly notes, it’s not as simplistic as some would like to see it. I’m sure that the Catholic hierarchy sees it as more of an issue of “protecting the priesthood itself” than of protecting and shielding misbehaving priests. (Assuming they even believe all of the reports – or listen to them in the first place.)

It’s similar to what a lot of police departments do to close ranks and defend cops that they know to be bad actors – it signals to the rest of the force that “If we’ll protect this asshole whom you all know to be an asshole, then consider how far we will go to protect the good actors, if that’s necessary.”

It’s a bureaucratic failure more than anything else.

Religion in all forms is poison to a truly progressive society.

Because he is the vatican…and he can.