Special Hour: Catholic Church In Crisis

The Vatican opened a sex abuse prevention summit in Rome Thursday with Pope Francis urging senior Catholic Church leaders to listen to the cry of the young.

The pope offered 21 proposals to punish predators and keep children safe.

Victims from five continents addressed the summit — recanting the trauma of their abuse and the indifference of the church.

We spent much of our show talking about this crisis and the church's response — and took your calls.

John Allen, the editor of Crux Magazine, a news site that covers the Catholic Church and Vatican. He tweets @JohnLAllenJr.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a Massachusetts-based website that tracks clergy sex abuse cases. She tweets @barrett_doyle.

Thomas Groome, professor of theology and religious education at Boston College.

Alice Laffey, professor emerita of religious studies at College of the Holy Cross.

Jim Graham, son of a Lowell Catholic priest. He tweets @jim_jimgraham45.