Why just today our Bishop O'Brien in Phoenix AZ stated that he served at the pleasure of the Pope but yet he also stated that he offered to resign to the "proper authorities" and was it was refused. The Vatican will put up with any number of scofflaws in positions of authority rather than allow even the appearance that the laity can muscle these guys out of power.
The only leverage laymen have in the Catholic Church is to shut their checkbooks, and let the hierarchs know why they're shutting the financial spigot.
Clericalism is alive and well, and likely always will be.
I think I read somewhere that this scandal is close to costing the church 5 bil in the US... That is a lot of money...
The church will soon realize that money doesn't grow on trees...