Bishop Christopher J. Coyne of Burlington pledged to cooperate with state and local officials investigating reports of alleged abuse of former residents of a Catholic orphanage.

The cardinal council members said that they were aware the Holy See “is formulating the eventual and necessary clarifications” to the Viganò documents among other recent events.

Creighton, Fairfield and Santa Clara all earned the top spot in their respective geographic regions.

He said he can’t let his feelings get in the way of this. He can’t bend the rules for one person.

Many Catholic bishops and priests are frustrated by the continued coverage of the sex abuse crisis in the media. They believe they have fixed the problem and the church should be able to move on.

The Catholic Church needs bishops who promote unity, "not soloists singing their own tune or captains fighting personal battles," Pope Francis told new bishops from the church's mission territories.