Priests are unfairly damned. The Catholic church is an easy target in countries with a long tradition of anti-Catholic bigotry such as Britain. A comprehensive survey of sexual abuse by priests in the US by John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York found that about 4 per cent were accused (but not all found guilty). That means 96 per cent had no accusations.

The issue of sexual abuse on the part of clergy has had profoundly devastating effects on all members of the church — bishops, priests, religious and laity alike. The Dallas Charter, soon to be in effect for 20 years, has created an attitude of distrust resulting in injustices toward priests. In an attempt to address that crisis, the “zero tolerance” policy enacted by the bishops created more of an atmosphere of injustice than it intended. It was a reaction, not a response. Children’s safety and justice for priests are not mutually exclusive ideas.

He was very serious about his Vatican sentence to “a life of prayer and penance” for his sexual crimes against young girls. Every time I saw him awake he was engaged in praying the Liturgy of the Hours or some other prayer resource. He privately celebrated Mass every day and kept a long list of prayer intentions. My short relationship with him underscored the necessity of mercy in my Christian journey.

The Archdiocese, in the throes of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, sued four insurance companies this week, claiming they haven’t fulfilled their contracts to provide liability coverage for sexual abuse complaints. It hopes to raise enough money, including through insurance payouts, to settle the bankruptcy case involving more than 400 people who allege they were victims of clergy sexual abuse, with some claims dating back decades.

The seminary's board of directors formally recommended in April 2016 that the U.S. bishops’ conference establish a national database of applicants to priestly formation in dioceses or religious orders, which would list whether applications were admitted, rejected, withdrawn, or deferred.

Priestly “fraternity” involves “deliberately choosing to pursue holiness together with others, and not by oneself.” Similarly, it means being open and honest with others, but also humble. At the same time, the Pope acknowledged the difficulties of living out fraternity with others, and called for “heralds” of a fraternity founded on mutual love. In this context, the Pope also addressed the value of priestly celibacy, “a gift that the Latin Church preserves,” but which must be rooted in healthy relationships.

"There’s always this temptation for a priest to say to himself that things were better before… Go and see if it was better! In any case, I believe that today the mission of the priest can be more exciting than it was 50 years ago, because the challenges are immense. So I believe that today’s priest must be creative, take the first steps, and open dialogue with audacity." Cardinal Quellet said.

"When priestly fraternity thrives and bonds of true friendship exist, it becomes possible to experience with greater serenity the life of celibacy,” Pope Francis said. “Celibacy is a gift that the Latin church preserves, yet it is a gift that, to be lived as a means of sanctification, calls for healthy relationships, relationships of true esteem and true goodness that are deeply rooted in Christ. Without friends and without prayer,” the Pope said, “celibacy can become an unbearable burden and a counter-witness to the very beauty of the priesthood.”

There’s a fairly standard playbook for a Catholic bishop accused of mishandling accusations of sexual abuse against clergy for whom he was responsible: 1. Never engage the substance of the charges against you. 2. Always lead with sorrow and compassion for survivors of sexual abuse, and then endorse their quest for justice. 3. Volunteer your resignation.

“The expert report contains no evidence for an allegation of misconduct or conspiracy in any coverup. As an archbishop, Cardinal Ratzinger was not involved in any cover-up of acts of abuse."

Data suggests the problem has shifted. Recent victims are more evenly divided between male and female, instead of the preponderance of male victims from earlier times. Importantly, the age of the victims has shifted toward older victims: There are fewer pre-pubescent victims and more teenage victims today. He did find some hopeful news, which suggests the problem has improved. Recent data shows fewer reported cases among younger, recently ordained priests. So, it is accurate to say that the situation is improved, and there is reason for hope.