Perhaps they heeded the exhortations of Cardinal George and others to speak with one voice.

Cardinal George told the bishops that he had begun to discuss the issue with the orders.

Cardinal George determined that 11 of the priests had committed sexual misconduct.

"A little more wiggle room enables you to be more just," Cardinal George said.

Cardinal George lifted the suspension on May 20, 2011.

Cardinal George described the tone of the first session as "very serious, even somber."

Celibacy was a central focus, Cardinal George said, "not in questioning the rule for the church, but asking how can we strengthen it."

Cardinal George on Wednesday called that condition "legitimate and necessary."

Cardinal George said that when it came to his turn, he knelt and began to address the pope in halting German.

"He had a good grasp of the situation," Cardinal George said.