The judgment of guilt is generally affirmed in the court of public opinion, since the priest has already been removed from his ministry. Out-of-court payoffs to plaintiffs, which have become a common practice, exacerbate the problem . . . creating a no-win situation even for a priest who is ultimately found to be innocent.

In their desire to act quickly and to silence critics, the American bishops resorted to stringent measures that had the palpable effect of demoralizing priests and leading to a theologically unhealthy chasm between the episcopacy and the presbyterate.