Recent weeks have brought a number of stories that reveal how Pope Francis aims to lead the church on this issue.

Many are asking why McCarrick was allowed to ascend the hierarchical church ladder when some in church circles had reported questionable behavior to the Vatican.

The Catholic organization Opus Dei paid $977,000 in 2005 to settle a sexual misconduct complaint against a once prominent Washington, D.C.-area priest.

Catholics have every right to demand action, but there must be discernment and prayer before making decisions. Then comes the courage to enact necessary change.

The Vatican has confirmed that an Argentine bishop, who resigned suddenly in 2017 for stated health reasons and then landed a top administrative job at the Holy See, is under preliminary investigation after priests accused him of sexual abuse and other misconduct.

Over the past four months, Roman Catholic dioceses across the U.S. have released the names of more than 1,000 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children in an unprecedented public reckoning spurred at least in part by a shocking grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania, an Associated Press review has found.