Heidi Schlumpf

The "Authentic Reform" conference ended with a call for like-minded organizations to band together to force church leaders to act against sexually active clergy, and those who abuse minors.

Theologians are seeing the urgency of doing public theology, a term coined by Lutheran theologian Martin Marty in the 1970s. But given the polarized political sphere, especially on social media, plus equally destabilizing controversies within the church, not to mention a lack of support from within academia, they are facing challenges in bringing their academic expertise into the public square.

Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, 88, who stepped down from active ministry this summer after credible allegations of sexual abuse of seminarians and children, has moved to a home for priests in Kansas to live out a "life of prayer and penance."

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A liturgical canonist and teacher who had admitted abusing a minor while serving as an associate pastor in the United States is no longer teaching at the Canadian pontifical university where he had been a full professor.

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In tackling clergy sex abuse, the "Authentic Reform" schedule includes such topics as "Humanae Vitae as a Charter for Reform," "Purifying the Clergy" and "The Problem of Homosexuality."

John Huels, who has admitted he abused Michael Bland as a teenager, continues work as a liturgical canonist and a full professor at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. 

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Morning Briefing: Trump comments on sex abuse scandal, Kavanaugh hearings continue today and U.S. accepting record low numbers of refugees.  

With surveys showing increasing numbers of young people leaving the church, it would seem recent abuse revelations would prompt a greater exodus. But young Catholics who spoke to NCR are not giving up.

Morning Briefing: Updates on news about the unfolding sex abuse crisis in the church

Chicago -- Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich urged his fellow bishops to hold one another accountable and accept leadership from lay people on issues related to clerical sex abuse, while also praising Pope Francis' response — or lack thereof — to accusations by his former ambassador to the U.S.

Reaction to an explosive letter from a former Vatican ambassador to the United States has been swift and predictably partisan, leaving many Catholics wondering whether the letter's uncorroborated allegations against high-ranking church officials — including Pope Francis — are true or not.

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More than 3,000 theologians, educators and lay leaders have called for all U.S. bishops to submit their resignations to Pope Francis, much like Chile's 34 bishops did in May after revelations of sexual abuse and corruption, as a public act of penance and a "willing abdication of earthly status."

The U.S. bishops' call for an apostolic visitation and lay-involved investigations into abuse and cover-ups was called a "good start," but at least one former National Review Board member called it "too little, too late."

"I want the people of God to hear from bishops that we are taking this moment seriously," Archbishop Paul Etienne wrote in a recent blog post where he offered a seven-point proposal for responding to sexual abuse by bishops.

Morning Briefing: Promising primary election results, what to do about sexual abuse of seminarians, and Catholic sisters call for communion at LCWR meeting