I hope this turns into something of substance. This is a big step in the right direction!

Julie

I was really hoping this pope wouldn't be the brush it off to the side type, guess I got my wish

I am going to give Pope Francis a chance to prove himself in this regard but am skeptical.

I wouldn't think he would need a commission for him to understand the basics

1. Don't expect men who are created by God as sexual and emotional beings to be celibate. Although this will never happen in my lifetime I hope the RCC eventually sees this is not how God would want his creations to live

2. Ordain women to broaden the pool of available candidates and bring balance to the priesthood

3. Establish a no tolerance policy around any form of abuse, sexual or otherwise. There is no first chance we move to you a different parish and cover it up and hope you don't do it again. The first time there is a report or suspicion you bring in the civil authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and let the laws of the various lands mete our civil punishment. You can conduct your own investigation but if you find evidence of abuse then defrock immediately.

4. Defrock any bishop, archbishop, cardinal, etc. immediately if it can be determined they even once moved a priest around without reporting it to the authorities and making an independent determination of the allegations and if found true then to immediately remove the priest or whoever from the priesthood.

If they know they will be turned over to the authorities even on the first allegation this will make them think twice before they molest. It may not stop all of them but the civil authorities can then convict them of sex crimes and make them a pariah for the rest of their lives.

1) He has already stated that the church should revisit the rules prohibiting married priests. My guess is that if there were a change, it would look much like the Orthodox churches. Married priests are already allowed in the case of episcopal conversions and in a few other cases.

2) Women will probably never be eligible for ordination -- this has been dogma since the beginning of the church. That being said, ordination (of some sort) is only required to administer the sacraments.

Its entirely possible that you could have a woman Cardinal (or similar rank) who sets policy, controls expenditures, etc. Francis has already indicated he wants to see women involved in the upper levels of decision making, and it wouldn't shock me if he named one a Cardinal at some point (its tradition but not dogma that cardinals are also bishops or priests). That being said, I'm unsure if that women would get a vote in the next pope's election.

3) Agree entirely.

4) Removed from any position of responsibility and turned over to the secular authorities I agree with. Even forcibly retiring them to a cloistered order is possible. Defrocking though goes against the idea of forgiveness of sins. They may be incarcerated, but if they were forgiven and reconciled they could still give sacraments to the prisoners.

Whatever else happens, they need to turn over every shred of evidence for crimes both past and present to local authorities and refuse to grant immunity (aka Benard Law), etc. Any allegation, even those which may not be likely, should be turned over to secular authorities for investigation.

Let's see if he's really committed to ending the Church's role as a safe haven for child rapists.

He is cleaning house on many levels. About damn time.

That's um ... great.

I'm sure it will make a lot of people who've never been touched (literally) by this scandal very happy.

For the rest of us, life goes forward without looking towards Rome, thank you very much.

And by the way: anyone who thinks that making changes to what celibacy or gender requirements is going to change anything, that's YOUR agenda for your own reasons. Married men molest children every day. Women molest children every day. Gay people molest children every day.

Still praying for his long life in this office, as he is making enemies right and left.