Dreher's advice:
Explain these decisions in context of the times and the culture, but overall don't be defensive, but rather be humble. Confess all, and be publicly penitent. Many people will scream condemnation at the pope and the Church, and much of that will have been deserved. But I think men and women of goodwill will appreciate a genuine attempt to come to terms with this evil situation, not by denying and stonewalling, but by admitting and asking forgiveness. The pope already has uttered some extraordinary words of regret, but I think people are looking for something more.
Even K-Lo, while blaming everyone else and the 1960s, wants the Pope to explain himself. I don't think he is capable of it: the defenses he has built up, and the cult of total authority cannot allow him to own his personal complicity in child-rape and abuse. I think we will continue to have "non-responsibility" and denial - a bit like the US government and its authorization of war crimes. Dreher can't imagine resignation:
People who say the pope should resign are way off base. Popes don't do that, and besides, are you really going to find another potential pope who didn't participate in what was apparently a widespread practice re: shuffling around predator priests? Of course, as I said, if Benedict reassigns bad bishops, or accepts many resignations, it raises the question: if he did the same thing, why is he sending them down but not himself? It's a hard question to answer.
You're telling me. There is no way out for him. He cannot discipline others without disciplining himself and he cannot save the church if he does not defrock many others. It's obvious he should resign. It's also obvious he cannot. That's why this crisis is so grave. It could go on for a long time, stripping the hierarchy of whatever authority they have left (and look how well they enforced their own extremist understanding of being pro-life in the healthcare debate).
It may get darker before the light gets in. But this is Passion Sunday. As Christians we are taught to hope.