The Vatican has issued a first or interim response to the accusations leveled against the pope and senior Vatican officials for their response to allegations against Archbishop Theodore McCarrick.

The Diocese of Columbus said last week it would release a list in the next few months that will include the names of clergy who have been credibly accused of abuse, whether they are living or dead.

Calling itself Better Church Governance, the group plans to enlist former F.B.I. agents to investigate cardinals on how they handled allegations of sexual abuse and whether they have remained faithful to their vows.

It was only a matter of time before lay people would take it upon themselves to investigate church scandals.

The crises in the Catholic Church demand long-term solutions that are best addressed by gradual discernment leading to broad consensus on the part of the college of bishops.

"In this case, however, we may need to allow this fire to keep burning," Bishop Lionel Gendron of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Quebec, said.