Empty pews stand in a Catholic church in Brooklyn. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have laid out a series of new policies to address the accusations of sexual abuse against priests, including instilling a code of conduct and having a third-party representative for people to confidentially report misconduct by bishops, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: This is the first step made to curb the systemic culture of secrecy in the Catholic Church in the wake of a slew of sexual abuse allegations. Meanwhile, the disclosures and a flurry of investigations have mounted pressure on Pope Francis to take drastic actions against bishops and cardinals for their role in the abuse crisis.