MSW believes that rather than laicizing offending priests, bishops should confine then to monasteries. Has he asked even one abbot what he thinks about this? Monasteries are not prisons. Who would be responsible for “confining” the priest: the abbot? And would the abbot be held responsible if the confined priest strayed in any way? Would the abbot be responsible for monitoring the offender’s mail, internet use, trips to town, vacations and so on? 

Back in 2002 when the bishops were scrambling to put together their response to the public disclosure of widespread clergy sexual abuse, one of them said, “these priests should be sent to monasteries to live a life of penance.”  A newspaper report quoted a Trappist abbot who replied, in effect, “we’re not jailers, and we don’t want them.”

Furthermore, a bishop cannot force a monastery to take an offending priest.

MSW should call up a few abbots and ask them what they think of his proposal. I imagine they'd have a few choice words to say.