DALLAS (CNS) -- Acknowledging that the Catholic Church in the United States is in "perhaps the gravest crisis we have faced," the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for "confession, contrition and resolve" at the bishops' meeting in Dallas.

Opening a meeting which would focus almost entirely on the topic of sexual abuse, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., June 13 apologized profusely to victims of sexual abuse by priests, to their families, to religious, deacons and laity, and to "our faithful priests."

He noted that there is a great deal of anger among bishops and urged them to direct their anger toward constructive work.

The crisis in the church "is not about a lack of faith in God," Bishop Gregory said. "The crisis, in truth, is about a profound loss of confidence by the faithful in our leadership as shepherds, because of our failures in addressing the crime of the sexual abuse of children and young people by priests and church personnel."

He said the bishops did not go far enough to make sure every child and minor was safe from abuse.

"Rightfully, the faithful are questioning why we failed to take the necessary steps," Bishop Gregory said.

A reconciliation that heals is called for, he continued, "not a reconciliation that merely binds a wound so that we can move forward in some hobbled kind of fashion."

Truthful confession, heartfelt contrition and firm purpose are the only course possible to receive "the generous mercy of God and the forgiveness of our brothers and sisters," he said.

Such penance is not the obligation of the church at large, but of the bishops themselves, Bishop Gregory said.

"Both 'what we have done' and 'what we have failed to do' contributed to the sexual abuse of children and young people by clergy and church personnel," he said.

Bishop Gregory said the bishops need to confess that they are the ones who allowed priest-abusers to remain in ministry, who chose not to report the criminal actions of priests to authorities because the law did not require it, who "worried more about the possibility of scandal than in bringing about the kind of openness that helps prevent abuse," and "at times, responded to victims and their families as adversaries and not as suffering members of the church."

If the bishops have learned anything, he added, it is how devastating the effects of sexual abuse are.

"Those of us who have not experienced sexual abuse in our childhood can never fully understand what it has done to you," Bishop Gregory told victims, promising to make every effort "to take on your perspective."

"I express the most profound apology to each of you who have suffered sexual abuse by a priest or another official of the church," he said. "I am deeply and will be forever sorry for the harm you have suffered. We ask your forgiveness."

He also specifically apologized to and asked forgiveness of parents of victims; deacons, religious and laity; and "faithful priests."

Bishop Gregory asked priests to join the bishops in seeking God's grace for full renewal of the priesthood and the episcopate "to genuine holiness of life and Christlike service. This is what the Lord asks of us. The church deserves nothing less."

Since 1985 the bishops have worked on the problem of sexual abuse in an effort to ensure the church is a safe environment for children, Bishop Gregory noted. That those efforts have not succeeded is a cause of anger, he said.

Although there has been solid work accomplished by the majority of bishops, that has been overshadowed "by the imprudent decisions of a small number of bishops during the past 10 years."

"It is as if the fabric of the good work that has been accomplished had never existed or had completely unraveled," said Bishop Gregory. "I know. I feel it myself. But I cannot remain there. And neither can any of you."

He asked the bishops to be models of forgiveness to one another and asked them to harness their angry energy to accomplish all the work that lay ahead.

Finally, Bishop Gregory asked the bishops to resolve that the failures of the past not be repeated. He asked anyone sexually abused who has not yet reported it to come forward.

He also asked any priest responsible for sexual abuse that has not yet been reported to tell his bishop, and "any bishop who has sexually abused a child or young person" to report that fact to the Vatican nuncio "so that justice and the church will be served and you will be able to live honestly with your own conscience."

Bishop Gregory devoted several minutes to discussing media coverage of the sexual abuse scandal. He said he was pleased that the media has given more attention to the sexual abuse of children as a societal problem.

However, "during these last months, the image of Catholic hierarchy in this country has been distorted to an extent which I would not have thought possible six months ago," he said. "Sad and disturbing facts, often long in the past, have been readily presented in ways that create an erroneous image of the church in 2002 as neglectful and uncaring in a matter about which we bishops have cared a great deal for many years now."

He said there has been some very thoughtful media coverage alongside "the hysterical and distorted coverage."