Clerical Abuse in the Catholic Church

Why is being reduced to the lay state a punishment? Is that really what the Church thinks of the laity that it is a state to be reduced to? 
I for one expected better from Pope Francis. It is clericalism at its worst. I also think that it is a disgrace that the Papal Nuncio to Great Britain has seen fit not to make documents readily available to the government sponsored enquiry looking into the abuse that took place at at Ealing Abbey and St Benedict’s school in west London.