GATHERED in a Northeast Baltimore parish hall recently to talk about the clergy sex abuse scandal, 165 parishioners of St. Matthew's Catholic Church couldn't wait to get started.

They had plenty to say: Deal with allegations promptly. No more cover-ups. Address the problem from the top down. Educate parishioners on the demands of the priesthood. Hold leaders accountable to the laity. Tell us how this happened.

Those concerns reflect many of the critical issues that make up a proposed national church policy to deal with the sexual abuse of children by clergy. Victims from Los Angeles to Boston cried out for justice; church members demanded an accounting of the whole mess. And they have been heard.

The bishops who drafted the national proposal recognized the imperative for a comprehensive policy that reports priests who abuse minors to authorities, removes them from ministry, provides counseling for victims and bars secret civil settlements unless a victim demands it.

But the 12-page proposal leaves open the possibility that a one-time offender can return to parish life under certain conditions if a civilian review board approves. That recommendation will certainly dominate the debate at the June 13-15 meeting of the United States Conference of Bishops in Dallas. And well it should.

Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore has already said he will promote a tougher "one offense is too many" policy to his colleagues, a decision influenced by the case of the Rev. Maurice J. Blackwell. To his credit, the cardinal has acknowledged that the archdiocese erred when it decided in 1993 to return Father Blackwell to ministry after a 17-year-old accused him of sexual abuse. Five years later, another abuse victim came forward and the priest admitted having a sexual relationship with the victim when he was a minor.

Regardless of the national policy that is adopted next week, Cardinal Keeler says the tougher standard will prevail in Baltimore. That means no second chances.

The scandal that began with revelations of church officials in Boston transferring priests who preyed on children from one parish to the next, where they abused again, has devastated the church's image and credibility. Each new round of allegations and cover-ups further eroded the trust between church leaders and the faithful.

The report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse rightly acknowledges the bishops' failings, yet it fails to offer any reprimand for them. It apologizes to victims and recognizes that sexual abuse is a crime and a sin. The drafters neither try to hide behind a well-crafted memo nor pretend that a national policy, however strong, will redeem them: "Words alone cannot do it."

They have set the standard for themselves. And the question remains if the nation's 300 bishops will live up to it. The "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" will require a two-thirds vote of the membership to become a national policy. The bishops should seek Vatican approval to mandate it. That would send a clear message of their commitment to the safety of children.

But the idea that some priests may get a second chance should be debated at this meeting. What has sometimes been forgotten in the recounting of scandalous and sordid tales of abuse is that this is a faith that seeks justice and preaches forgiveness. Should the priest who acted inappropriately with a teen receive the same punishment as the serial abuser who preys on children? Can the church afford a "one is one too many" policy given the dearth of vocations? Does the membership demand it?

The delegates to Dallas have an obligation to carry on this discussion beyond the meeting's end: to explore how priests prepare for their vocation and how they live it. This is an opportunity to do more than police and punish the abuser and protect and defend the victim. It is a chance, in the words of the pastor at St. Matthew's in Northeast Baltimore, "to heal the broken and renew the hopeful church."