Sometimes, perhaps unintendedly, an article can lay out a problem without intending to do so.  There is a line in this article that I think encapsulates so much of the church's problem relative to the scandal: something that we've been talking about here for years now.

"The bishops stated: "While the Church is bound to give witness to justice... anyone who ventures to speak to people about justice must first be just in their eyes. "

It's important to remember that at the very same time the bishops were pulling this document together, they were also up to their necks in the abuse cases.  Victims and their families were crying out for justice: and even today, the bishops STILL refuse to accept accountability...
As RockChalk notes, that period in church history was indeed heady times, as "our church" appeared to be finally stepping up to a good role in society.  

Alas, that 1971 synoidal statement by the bishops has turned out to be prophetic indeed.