The Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal Desmond Connell, has spoken about how the priesthood "is suffering at this time from the widespread concerns about the abuse of children and the manner in which it has been dealt with".
Addressing priests of the archdiocese at Holy Week ceremonies in the Pro-Cathedral, he assured them "that the necessary steps to reach out to victims of child sexual abuse and to implement the child protection guidelines as outlined by the Irish Catholic bishops in 1996 have been taken within the ambit of my responsibility".
He quoted from Pope John Paul's letter to priests for Holy Thursday: "At this time too as priests we are personally and profoundly afflicted by the sins of some of our brothers who have betrayed the grace of ordination in succumbing even to the most grievous forms of the mysterium iniquitatis at work in the world. Grave scandal is caused, with the result that a dark shadow of suspicion is cast over all the other fine priests who perform their ministry with honesty and integrity and often with heroic self-sacrifice."
And he repeated what he himself said in a pastoral letter Speaking of Priests of May 1995. "The recent revelation of revolting practices in the case of a few, and the injury inflicted on victims and their families, have evoked entirely justified outrage. As your bishop, I fully acknowledge your distress and I renew the expression of my sorrow to those who have been injured.
"Do not allow the evil to triumph, but let it be overcome by your experience of the goodness of their priestly lives."
Meanwhile the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, has said he believed that sometimes the church might have taken too seriously legal advice and perhaps not seriously enough pastoral advice in its handling of sex abuse cases.
He said he was frightened and deeply saddened at the way the issue of clerical sexual abuse was turning into confrontation.
Speaking to RTÉ, he said this would only lead to further victimisation of the victims.
And while he believed the media had done a service in revealing scandals, he appealed to journalists to make further efforts to try to understand the issue.