Investigation of child abuse.
Acknowledgement and apology.
As for the call for me to take action and write letters and do something about it...
What you are asking me to do, basically, is to tell people that are horrific bigots to be nicer, and to stop being bigots.
If it were that easy, I doubt we'd be having this conversation.
Yes, the Church does proclaim Jesus, love, and Christianity. Yes, there are people in the Church who are idiots (4. But I'm Not Like That - Stop Stereotying!, before you can say it. Yes, I'm a crappy conversation partner. I understand that), but that's true of roughly every human organization.
The problem is, what you're essentially calling for me to do is write sternly worded letters to every bigot in the world, and ask them to stop. That won't happen, and it would do no good.
Imagine that the Catholic church is like... say... the police. By itself, the idea of a police department is a good thing. It serves to keep the streets clean, and people safe. However, as the good policemen get rewarded and become leaders and friends of the community, a lot of people get attracted to the idea of power and influence that being a policemen can give. In short, some people are only in it for the badge and authority.
Of course, not all policemen are corrupt (well, outside of cities), because if the entire system was rotten to the core in every city in America, we wouldn't still have police.
However, if you try to weed out the bad, you'll end up with standards so high that not even Good Guy Greg (was going to say Jesus, but I fear the fallout) would get through.
If the Church accepted only those who were saints, then it would pretty much kill of the point of a Church.
Yes, you get some bad apples. In fact, we openly acknowledge that we've had some bad popes (including the tracing of the political deals that led to them becoming Pope). Proving that people in the Church are bigots does nothing.
People misunderstand the point of religion. Religious people included. The point of religion isn't to create a theocracy, or mold the world to suit your needs. And that's what's lost on most people. Look at the Middle East. Look at the Balkans. Look at Asia.
In fact, look at the psychopaths who speak in the name of God in the United States. Westboro. Pelosi. Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
The point of a religion is to point to spiritual truth, and guide people on the right path.
Yes, the Church should be involved in work on earth (Catholic charities, for example), but the Church isn't just a soup kitchen. This notion that has taken root, that a good church should sit down, shut up, and feed everyone for free, is utterly ridiculous.
Yes, Catholics have things we believe in. Personally, I believe that a happy, whole family (two parents and their children) is a happy family. However, my parents are divorced. However, I still love them both, and, surprisingly enough, aren't condemning either of them to Hell for it.
Mainly because I can't.
And no Catholic can.
However. I will do my utmost to do my part to end bigotry with sternly worded letters. I will try to convince the man I look up to, one of the most serene and charismatic men I know, that what he has done with his life, all the good and mercy, is all worthless.
In fact, no. I will not answer for the sins and bigotry, because I'm not demanding you answer for the atheists who have bombed Catholic churches. I'm not demanding you answer for all the evil done by godless men, simply because they aren't your sins to answer for.
Do I acknowledge that evil things have been done in the name of the Church (seeing as how, you know, the actual message of love and tolerance hasn't hurt anyone, but that gets ignored a lot nowadays)? Yes I do. Do I try to do my part by promoting tolerance and urging people to take a more accepting and loving view of things (IRL, I mean. Not "hurrdurr, but you're mean to people on the internetz!")? I try my utmost. I'm not perfect, and I don't claim to be.
What else can I do to fight bigotry and intolerance in the Church? Educate people, first of all. Speak with fellow Christians, and try to help them understand that God doesn't hate X, and that sinning doesn't mean an automatic one-way ticket to Hell.
In fact, I will write letters. Give me the names of people who are being hateful and intolerant, and I will write letters. Of course, I can't write a letter to every pastor in America, simply due to the sheer amount of mailing that would involve, but I can do my best.
However. I still disagree with your opinion that the bad apples spoil the bunch.
Now, the next question is meant as an honest question, rather than a snappish remark. It's not meant that way, so please do not take it that way. Yet more limitations of conversing on the Internet... -_-
Additionally, how are Catholics privileged? This isn't meant to say they aren't, this is meant to say "As a Catholic, it's hard for me to get a non-Catholic perspective, so please help me out here." I'm consistently reminded that not everybody knows as much about the Church, for example, seeing as how that's all I've known most of my life. It's like trying to understand why everybody hates America with a burning passion, when to me it's just the place I've lived all my life, and nothing really special.
Now, proceed with telling me how many times I've derailed this conversation.