The John Terry affair, like that of many other sportsmen before him, was sordid. Not only did he betray his wife and children, he also betrayed his teammate and friend. He's not the first footballer to behave badly, and expectations are not high when it comes to the off-pitch conduct of premiership stars.

Where it differed from the morass of adultery, dogging, domestic violence and drug-taking stories that have emerged about others in the past, is the masterful handling of the situation by England manager Fabio Capello. Showing true leadership, he demonstrated the consequences of his actions to Terry by stripping him of his captain's armband. Higher standards are expected of people in positions of authority. You can't lead a team while behaving treacherously to a teammate. Loyalty and decency matter. Some things are just wrong and there is a price to be paid. Capello sent out this message loud and clear.

Morality, like ethics, standards and decency, has felt like a dirty word in recent years. The modern generation must tiptoe through a minefield of dilemmas where there are few certainties. But there have been revelations of such horror that collective judgement has been immediate and absolute.

Last year the contents of the Ryan report into child abuse in residential institutions shocked Irish society to its core. We struggled to find an adequate response as the scale and depth of systematic abuse of children emerged. The acts described in the report were of the most heinous nature – repeated rapes, constant humiliation, attempted destruction of children.

The publication of the report was a powerful moment of awakening. It forced the government to reexamine the contemptible deal struck with the religious orders that offered them indemnity against all legal claims on payment of €128m in cash and property. The arrangement, brokered in the final days of the government in 2002, was on behalf of 18 religious orders. Total liability later ran to €1.2bn.

When the disgusting detail of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse came out, the public clamour for more accountability from the religious orders grew to a crescendo. While initially resisting a reopening of the deal they later relented and agreed that it could after all be reopened.

The 18 orders that signed the indemnity deal with the State were the same orders who had tried their best to obstruct the compilation of the report. They are: Sisters of Mercy; Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul; Christian Brothers; Good Shepherd Sisters; Presentation Brothers; Rosminians; Oblates of Mary Immaculate; Hospitaller Order of St John of God; Sisters of Charity; Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of Refuge; Sisters of St Clare; Institute of St Louis; Presentation Sisters; De La Salle Brothers; Dominicans; Daughters of the Heart of Mary; Brothers of Charity and Sisters of Nazareth.

Last May the Conference of Religious in Ireland (Cori) said: "Cori supports the 18 congregations whose institutions were investigated by the Ryan report in their efforts to find the best and most appropriate ways forward. All of us accept with humility that massive mistakes were made and grave injustices were inflicted on very vulnerable children. No excuse can be offered for what has happened. The recommendations and conclusions of the Ryan report constitute an imperative for all those involved in the care of vulnerable people."

Yet today we reveal that these same religious orders are seeking to have the State cover their legal costs for their obfuscation in its compilation. While they have been forced, kicking and dragging, to make adequate compensation for their crimes against children by handing over more property and cash to the state, this move will effectively claw back tens of millions of euro if they are allowed to succeed in their claim.

Enda Kenny is right when he says that just because it is legally correct it does not make it morally justifiable. Unfortunately morality and the Catholic Church in Ireland are not synonymous. Our expectations for the behaviour of the religious orders at whose hands generations of children suffered are very low.

Is it too much to expect that our religious leaders would know what the right thing to do is? The Christian Brothers and the Cori were unavailable for comment this weekend. We hope they are considering the morality of their position.