Prelates in the United States have pushed for new ways to regulate the behavior of bishops in the wake of bruising abuse revelations about recently-defrocked former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who rose through the ranks of the faith even as rumors swirled about his behavior. The Vatican last November stopped the U.S. bishops at their annual meeting from voting on new steps to hold bishops more responsible in abuse cases. A Vatican cardinal later indicated, in a letter obtained by the Associated Press, that there were problems with the U.S. proposals. But some American Catholics say the Vatican thwarted a potential improvement of current U.S. church anti-abuse guidelines.