Despite new policy on abusers, bishops far from regaining trust

America's Roman Catholic bishops are hoping a newly adopted sex abuse policy will restore their credibility, but the damage caused by months of revelations that church leaders had sheltered priests accused of molesting children will take years to repair.

At a recent meeting in Washington, the bishops' pronouncements on issues like war in Iraq and religious outreach to Hispanic immigrants were overshadowed by the scandals -- just one sign of the difficulties bishops' now face.

Some parishioners say the church still can't move forward until bishops who mishandled abuse claims resign or are at least singled out for criticism by their colleagues.

"The problems this crisis has brought to the surface, or created, are so large, so complex, there's no way this crisis can be quickly solved," said Russell Shaw, a former spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Restoring confidence in the bishops, the priesthood, and the authority structures of the church will take a long, long time."

Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the bishops' conference, acknowledged the damage in his opening address of the four-day Washington gathering, speaking of "fractures" in the church.

But in a statement meant to take responsibility for their mistakes, the bishops at the meeting stopped short of criticizing fellow prelates.

A suggestion by Archbishop Elden Curtiss of Omaha, Neb., to censure those who mishandled abuse claims was rejected. The final document was an apology similar to one issued five months ago in Dallas, where bishops' drafted their first national abuse policy.

"Our people are awaiting some kind of sign that we recognize that we have culpability in this matter," said Archbishop Alexander Brunett of Seattle, who supported a tougher statement.

The molestation scandals have sparked lay reform movements that have attracted thousands of members, and they have emboldened dissenters who support ordaining women and allowing priests to marry. One in five Catholics has stopped donating to a diocese because of the scandals, according to a Gallup poll released last week.

The bishops lamented that their Washington pronouncements on other issues were gaining little attention.