The U.S. bishops, having completed their weeklong retreat outside Chicago, now have some urgent business to attend to as they prepare for the meetings at the Vatican next month — meetings that will draw the heads of Catholic bishops’ conferences from around the world.

Our hope and prayer is that our Church leaders are now able to view the tumultuous events of 2018, which are sure to proceed to their next phase in 2019, with clarity, purpose and the determination to act decisively.

Justice demands it.

Pope Francis, in his letter of exhortation, and St. John Paul, in Pastores Gregis (The Bishop: Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World), have provided them a road map. Clarity and purpose are both vital to begin the renewal and purification of the Church.

I believe a great good can come from this tragic chapter in the Church’s history, as long as our leaders believe the Church is Christ’s visible instrument on earth and publicly acknowledge and repent of their own shortcomings. In this, they will stand tall as shepherds with a will and heart for guiding their flocks through these turbulent times.

As Catholics, we believe in divine justice for the incidents related to this latest scandal. It’s clear that these events demand earthly justice, as well. Let us join together in prayer for our bishops and the Pope, that authentic reform and healing soon become their dominant theme.

God bless you!