NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Cardinal Edward Egan is offering an apology for mistakes he may have made in failing to address cases involving sexual abuse of children by priests.
In a letter being read this weekend in archdiocese churches, Egan, the spiritual leader of about 2.4 million New York Catholics, tried to assuage concerns about his commitment to eradicating sexual abuse in the archdiocese.
The U.S. Catholic Church is mired in a widening scandal over sexual abuse of children by priests. Egan, along with seven other leading U.S. cardinals, has been summoned to the Vatican by Pope John Paul II for a crisis meeting next week.
Egan, who turned 70 on April 2, has been under fire for allegedly being lax in disciplining pedophile priests and assisting victims, both in New York and previously as bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
``Over the past 15 years, in both Bridgeport and New York, I consistently sought and acted upon the best independent advice available to me from medical experts and behavioral scientists,'' Egan said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
``It is clear that today we have a much better understanding of this problem,'' he continued. ``If in hindsight we also discover that mistakes may have been made as regards prompt removal of priests and assistance to victims, I am deeply sorry.''
Since January, the church has been hit almost every week with a new accusation, dismissal or resignation tied to sexual abuse of children in what has become the most damaging crisis to hit the U.S. Catholic Church.
The scandal started in Boston, where Cardinal Bernard Law, whose Boston Archdiocese serves 2 million Catholics, has been under mounting pressure to resign. One of the cardinals scheduled to attend next week's meeting, Law said this week he recently met with the pope to discuss the scandal.
The Vatican is said to be displeased that U.S. church officials did not tell Rome sooner how much damage the scandal was causing to the church's moral authority in the United States.
In his letter, Egan said current New York Archdiocese policy was ``to prevent abuse and to act immediately when an allegation of abuse arises.''
He urged church members also to remember the dedication and good work of the ``overwhelming majority'' of the New York Archdiocese's priests.
Last month, Egan pledged to remove from the ministry any priest who abuses a child, and said pedophilia by priests was an ``evil to be stamped out.''
Egan served as auxiliary bishop and vicar for education in the New York Archdiocese from 1985 to 1988. The pope appointed him bishop of Bridgeport in 1988 and archbishop of New York in 2000. He was elevated to cardinal in February 2001.