In his article, he said that his "life as a priest was undoubtedly affected by the totally inadequate and abusive formation I received in terms of preparing me for a healthy life as a celibate heterosexual male."
He acknowledged his own violations of celibacy, which he said he regrets.
"I am painfully aware, however, that the people to whom my seminary formation was entrusted modeled addictive behavior to me and an entire generation of young men who are now priests," he said.
Mitchell warned that Kalin's behavior has had lasting effects on the diocese.
"Although Kalin passed away in 2008, the seminarians he favored became the priests who continue to hold the reins of ecclesiastical power. To this day, anyone who tries to speak critically of Kalin's behavior and legacy is met with a code of silence for 'the good of the Church.' If I ever tried to express frustration with Monsignor's treatment of me, priests in positions of power over me quickly shut me down, almost robotically: 'While he may have had a few flaws, he was very orthodox and recruited so many vocations.'"
He said that he believes priests currently in the diocese had bad experiences with Kalin, or knew about the misconduct, but are afraid to speak up due to fear of reprisal.
"Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult for active priests to speak out because the men they would be speaking out against control every aspect of their lives and their reputations," he said. "But it needs to happen for their own good and for the good of the Church."
The Diocese of Lincoln stressed that it "endeavors to maintain a culture of holiness, chastity, integrity and Christ-like joy among our seminarians and priests. We are also committed to maintaining the high standards of chaste behavior to which the Lord calls us."
In its statement, the diocese asked "any priest, religious, seminarian, or lay Catholic with any information or concerns about past or current misconduct in a parish, school, or apostolate of the diocese to contact the diocesan chancery or, if criminal behavior is suspected, any law enforcement agency."
Current Bishop of Lincoln James Conley acknowledged Mitchell's article in his Aug. 3 column for the Southern Nebraska Register.
Discussing the accusations against both Kalin and Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., who was removed from the college of cardinals last weekend, Conley stressed that Christ walks alongside the wounded in their pain and anger.
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
"Because sexuality is such a powerful gift, I believe that the evil one – Satan – tempts us to sin against chastity, and to misuse and abuse our sexuality, because doing so can cause great harm to the Lord's beloved children," he said.
Conley apologized on behalf of the Church to those who had been harmed by its members and leaders. He asked Catholics to pray for victims of sexual abuse and misconduct.
"Christ promises new life. May he renew his Church, and renew the hearts of those who are suffering," he said.
J.D. Flynn, editor-in-chief of Catholic News Agency, previously served as special assistant to Bishop Conley and director of communications for the Lincoln diocese. Flynn has recused himself from coverage of this story to avoid a conflict-of-interest. He was not involved in the assigning, reporting, editing or oversight of this story.