The dioceses of Washington, D.C.; St. Louis; Seattle; St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Richmond, Va., are planning or have already held services focused on repentance and atonement.

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Sept. 25 approved the reorganization plan of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including a $210 million settlement for victim-survivor remuneration.

A past president of the University of Portland, Holy Cross Brother Raphael Wilson, is listed in the recently released grand jury report investigating the widespread alleged sexual abuse of children within six Pennsylvania dioceses.

"In this case, however, we may need to allow this fire to keep burning," Bishop Lionel Gendron of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Quebec, said.

The apology came on the same day that Pope Francis acknowledged that the sex abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church was driving people away.