Analysis: Not perfect, but progress

The conference was closely watched

By Tom Carver BBC correspondent in Dallas

It was not perfect.

But then no one thought it would be. You cannot root out this kind of problem with a two-day conference.

For years, Catholic bishops in America have been free to shuffle "priests with a problem" around their dioceses.

The ties of friendship and loyalty which bind these clerics run very deep

Not every bishop did it, but as the Dallas Morning News showed in an exhaustive survey, more than two-thirds of those attending the conference of the United States' top Catholic clergy in Dallas were guilty.

The sheer scale of the media attention - there were two journalists for every cleric - forced them to confront the problem head on.

The conference's final ruling was that if "a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is made, the alleged offender will be relieved of any ecclesiastical ministry or function".

Wide discretion

In other words, he will be barred from any post which could bring him into contact with the general public.

There was a schism within the conference

His only option, say the bishops, is a monastery - if he wants to remain in the church.

The bishops still have a lot of discretion, much to the dismay of the victims.

It will be up to a bishop to decide whether an alleged abuser is allowed to continue wearing his dog collar.

The victims have good reason to be sceptical. The bishops drew up similar guidelines 10 years ago with little effect.

This time things should be different.

The bishops will be required to report every allegation to the civil authorities.

Their actions will be supervised by a review board in every diocese, the majority of which must be lay people.

And all of this will become part of church law, not just a recommendation.

Schism

The debates went on late into the night and in the end, there was a schism within the conference.

Some bishops, usually the older ones, hated the idea of abandoning their priests to the civil authorities on the basis of allegations alone. The ties of friendship and loyalty which bind these clerics run very deep.

But the more progressive ones, who often seemed to be the West Coast bishops, were comfortable with the concept of zero tolerance and understood that the duty to protect the child is greater than the duty to protect the priest.

The process was often confused.

Numerous amendments were attached at the last minute. Few of the bishops even had time to read the final draft in full.

But however flawed the document is, it was at least hammered out in the full glare of the American media.

From now on the public, the faithful, the victims and the authorities will all be watching to make sure that America¿s paedophile priests no longer receive the protection of their bishops.

It wasn't perfect. But it was progress.