The image of sexually predatory priests has been created, at least in part, because of the same reason that New York City used to be considered America's crime capital.

The meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday will focus primarily on how to protect children from predatory priests, the officials said.

The Holy See has thwarted American bishops who want to make it easier under canon law to dismiss predatory priests.

The layman who led the inquiry, Robert Bennett, called for the resignation of the prelates who sheltered predatory priests.

Imposing financial accountability has become a heightened priority again nationwide in recent weeks as Catholics learned of millions of dollars secretly paid by bishops to victims of predatory priests.

There could well be changes in canon law, as well, to make it easier to get rid of predatory priests.

But the laity is still waiting for an accounting of bishops' culpability in protecting predatory priests and paying hush money to contain complaints.

But you will search the statements of the pope in vain if you seek contrition for the church's systemic failure to protect its children from predatory priests.

His predecessor, Cardinal Bernard Law, had for years protected sexually predatory priests and pursued a depressing strategy of denial and damage control.

And they voiced a stoic unease with how their church has been portrayed, accurately or not, as a harbor for a small fraction of sexually predatory priests.