Bishops to release proposed policy on responding to sex abuse

Roman Catholic bishops, battered by a clerical sex abuse crisis that has dragged on for months, plan to release their proposal today for a national policy on disciplining priests who molest children.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has been struggling to restore trust in church leadership following revelations that some priests who victimized young people were allowed to continue working by their superiors.

More than 225 clergy out of 46,075 U.S. priests have either resigned or been taken off duty since the crisis began in January.

The plan by the conference's Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse will be put to a vote when bishops from around the country meet June 13 through 15 in Dallas. Debate over ousting errant clergy is expected to be intense.