More than two-thirds of the 325 complaints evaluated by the commission were made during the 1990s and 2000s. Connell served as archbishop from 1988-2004. As of Nov. 30 he had made no comment on the report.

The report emphasized that the commission was established not to determine where child sexual abuse took place "but rather to record the manner in which complaints were dealt with by church and state authorities."

"It is also important in the commission's view not to equate the number of complaints with the actual instances of child sexual abuse," the report said. "Of those investigated by the commission, one priest admitted to sexually abusing over 100 children, while another accepted that he had abused on a fortnightly basis during the currency of his ministry, which lasted for over 25 years. The total number of documented complaints recorded against those two priests is only just over 70."

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin had warned that the report would shock Catholics.

"Efforts made to 'protect the church' and to 'avoid scandal' have had the ironic result of bringing this horrendous scandal on the church today," he said in a statement released Nov. 26, the day the report was made public.

"The damage done to children abused by priests can never be undone. I offer to each and every survivor my apology, my sorrow and my shame for what happened to them. I am aware, however, that no words of apology will ever be sufficient."

Martin asked Catholics to support and encourage the "many good priests of the archdiocese ... at what is a difficult time," and he acknowledged the sense of betrayal felt by many Catholics.

"I hope that all of us — bishops, priests and lay persons — working together can rebuild trust by ensuring that day after day the church in the archdiocese of Dublin becomes a safer environment for children," he said.

Justice campaigner and abuse survivor Andrew Madden said he was happy the report was published but angered by its contents and the response by church officials. In an RTE radio interview, he said: "I can't help notice how articulate the bishops are when it comes to apologizing for the abuse, which is not what the inquiry is about, and then using very flowery language" about their roles.

"What they did themselves, they are not owning that," he said.

The report found that Auxiliary Bishops James Kavanagh, Dermot O'Mahony, Laurence Forristal, Donal Murray and Brendan Comiskey "were aware for many years of complaints and/or suspicions of clerical child sexual abuse in the archdiocese." Comiskey resigned at the request of the Vatican in 2002 following publication of evidence that he covered up child abuse.

Murray is now serving as bishop of Limerick and is considered the hierarchy's most senior moral theologian.

"Bishop Murray handled a number of complaints and suspicions badly," the report said, calling at least one situation "inexcusable." It noted that in 2002 Murray acknowledged that "he had not dealt well with the situation."

Since the report's publication, there have been several calls for Murray to resign. Enda Kenny leader of the political party Fine Gael, called for all bishops implicated in the diocesan report to resign immediately, but Murray is the only one of the five auxiliaries still serving.

Denying that he had done anything wrong, on Nov. 27 Murray told the weekly Limerick Leader that he would not resign, but later that afternoon he said in a local-radio interview, "The question whether I remain on, as far as I am concerned, is a question for the people and priests of Limerick."

Victims also have called for the investigation to be extended to other dioceses.

Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, president of the Irish bishops' conference, said: "I am shocked and ashamed by the abuse of children described in the report. I want to apologize to all those who have been hurt and their families. I also want to apologize to all the people of Ireland that this abuse was covered up and that the reputation of the church was put before the safety and well-being of children. I am deeply sorry and I am ashamed."

He also encouraged Catholics to co-operate with police in investigation of any crime.

His comments echoed those made by Dermot Ahern, minister of justice, equality and law reform, who said: "The era where evil people could do so under the cover of the cloth, facilitated and shielded from the consequences by their authorities, while the lives of children were ruined with such cruelty, is over for good. The bottom line is this: A collar will protect no criminal."