He reiterated that his "first priority" as a bishop was the protection of children.
"To those women and men and all those they have spoken for: We hear you. The Church hears you. I hear you," said Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh in a statement after the report's release.
Zubik also apologized to victims of clerical abuse, as well as to "any person or family whose trust, faith and well-being has been devastated by men who were ordained to be the image of Christ." He also said he is willing to meet with any victim to apologize in-person.
Zubik emphasized that "Diocese of Pittsburgh today is not the Church that is described in the Grand Jury Report," and that "It has not been for a long time." Data provided by the diocese showed that over 90 percent of abuse incidents occurred prior to 1990, and Zubik explained the steps the diocese has taken to prevent abuse.
Bishop Edward Malesic of Greensburg released a video homily that will be shown at each Mass in the diocese this coming weekend. In it, Malesic apologized to the victims, who were "robbed of their childhoods" by the abuse, noting that some had been "robbed of their faith" as well.
The behavior in the report "cannot be accepted," he said, and "it is a cause of shame for us."
Malesic stated he was "truly proud of the victims who came forward to tell their story," and encouraged others to come forward as well, and for the faithful to be vigilant in reporting suspected abuse.
"To the survivors of sexual abuse in the Church [...] I grieve for you, and I grieve with you."
In a statement released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB president Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop Timothy L. Doherty, chairman of the bishops' Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, expressed "shame" at the report's conclusions.
"As a body of bishops, we are shamed by and sorry for the sins and omissions by Catholic priests and Catholic bishops… We pray that all survivors of sexual abuse find healing, comfort and strength in God's loving presence as the Church pledges to continue to restore trust through accompaniment, communion, accountability and justice."
The report claims to have identified more than 1,000 victims of 300 credibly accused priests and presents a devastating portrait of efforts by Church authorities to, ignore, obscure, or cover up allegations - either to protect accused priests or to spare the Church scandal.
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Christine Rousselle is a former DC Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. Prior to working at CNA, she was the managing web editor of Townhall.com; she has a BA in political science from Providence College.