I'm not sure it's advice they lack. Perhaps something more akin to guts? The public confidence is suffering. If they really and truly believe their organization is the only valid one to evangelize the world for Jesus Christ (which as one of those horrible 'hell-bound' Protestants I don't believe, but for the sake of argument), they ought to care about public confidence if they think that Jesus Christ cares about the world. "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles...."
But there is still a clericalism in the Catholic Church (and is exemplified by Renatus on this thread) that believes that lay people don't know anything, are not to be trusted, and their counsel cannot be as wise as one who has spent years in a seminary.
You'd be surprised at how prevalent that attitude still is in our Church. It no doubt exists in other Churches as well.