There are so many facets to this story.  It's been my observation that parish priests have often been the ones passing information along to their bishops, such as the rejection of HV by the laity, such as the growing sense that the church has the role of women all wrong, etc.   So on that level, these priests get punished thrice.  Their own leaders reject their council.  Those same leaders demand they hold firm to teaching the priests themselves may no longer believe.  And finally, the laity is walking away, leaving a church torn to shreds by the scandal.   And when all the dust settles, they stand along: old, abandoned, and wondering what their lives have meant.

I cannot help believe that it's way past time for the church to reboot itself.  Vatican II just cracked the door open a little bit as to what was needed.  MUCH more council work was still needed. But instead of picking the mantle up, the bishops just slammed that door shut, and then nailed it tight.  Priests are canaries...