“It is a cause of profound sorrow and of soul-searching for me that we bishops, the church’s pastors, have often failed to grasp the spiritual and moral devastation that results from sexual abuse, either in a misguided attempt to ‘save’ an abuser’s vocation or to shield the church from scandal,” Blair wrote in an open letter to “the Catholic faithful” and other Connecticut residents.

“Whatever institutional worries present themselves to me as a bishop as a result of abuse, it takes only one personal meeting with a victim survivor for me to see that any institutional concerns are insignificant compared to the deep spiritual and psychological wounds and suffering that can and often do result from sexual abuse by a priest,” he continued.

But at the same time, the materials released by the archdiocese make clear its belief that it has made significant strides in dealing with the problem in recent decades.

No Archdiocese of Hartford priest currently serving in the ministry in the archdiocese has “had credible allegations of child sexual abuse asserted” against him, Blair wrote in the open letter.

Elsewhere in the materials released Tuesday, the archdiocese defined a “credible claim” as “one that, under the circumstances known at the time of determination, would cause a prudent person to conclude that there was a significant possibility that the incident occurred.”

The archdiocese went on to say that its public identification of the priests “does not necessarily mean that the accusation has been proven in a court of law or definitively shown to have occurred through a formal process, or has been admitted by the person accused.

“It is also important to keep in mind that the priests who died before any allegation was made against them did not have an opportunity to respond to the allegations,” the archdiocese continued.

Two credible claims in 20 years

In the past 20 years, Blair wrote in his letter, two “Archdiocesan priests” have been credibly accused of abusing a minor, and both were prosecuted criminally.

One of the accused priests was Paul Gotta, who was charged with sexually abusing an altar boy while he was administrator of the St. Catherine and St. Phillip parishes in East Windsor.

Gotta accepted a plea bargain in November 2015 in which he was convicted only of a single misdemeanor count of second-degree breach of peace, which doesn’t necessarily involve sexual misconduct. He didn’t receive prison time.

Gotta later got a nine-month federal prison term for supplying 2 pounds of gunpowder to the same altar boy, Kyle D. Bass, who had been convicted in state court of illegally possessing two gun silencers and had received a sentence without prison time.

The archdiocese also disclosed that it has paid $50.6 million in settlements of child sexual abuse claims, with $24.5 million of that amount coming from its “general reserve fund” and the rest from insurance.

The general reserve fund is what remains of historical yearly surpluses and investment gains after covering deficits and investment losses. Its use is unrestricted, the archdiocese said.

The archdiocese emphasized that none of the settlement money or related expenses came from the archbishop’s annual appeal; the “cathdraticum,” or diocesan assessment on parish revenue; contributions or bequests designated for special purposes; or the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation.

In most of the abuse suits, the archdiocese said, insurance covered its legal fees and other litigation expenses.

It said 98 percent of the settlements were for alleged sexual abuse of minors that occurred before 1990 and that 98 percent of the settlements were paid after 2000.

One case tried

The archdiocese said it was held liable for $1.6 million in a case resolved through a trial and appeal. It is unclear whether this figure is included in the $50.6 million of “total settlement payments.”

The archdiocese said it also incurred some $4 million in recovering insurance reimbursements due to it.

The Pope has “laicized” some priest offenders, essentially expelling them from the priesthood, although a bishop is required to show them “some minimal charitable consideration” if a former priest falls into “a state of verified, documented destitution,” the archdiocese said.

For reasons that can include “advanced age or infirmity,” some offenders haven’t been laicized but have been sentenced to a life of “prayer and penance,” meaning that they still can say Mass, but only while alone in a room. Two such priests in the Archdiocese of Hartford receive about $1,900 monthly plus medical insurance coverage, the archdiocese said.

Two other credibly accused priests — who have been removed from the ministry but whose permanent status has yet to be resolved — receive the same stipend and insurance, the archdiocese said.

The archdiocese also announced that it has hired Antonio Robiana, a retired Superior Court judge now in private law practice, to lead an independent investigation of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese from 1953 to the present.

In addition, the archdiocese described workshops it provides to adults, children, and teenagers to avoid future sexual abuse and support services it provides to victims of abuse by clergy and others.

The archdiocese has scheduled the following three Masses of Reparation in the weeks to come:

• St. Bartholomew Church, 736 E. Middle Turnpike, Manchester, 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27.

• St. George Church, 33 Whitfield St., Guilford, 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16.

• Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 78 Litchfield Road, Harwinton, 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26.

“It is certainly true that offering a Mass is not itself sufficient to address the grievous suffering and betrayal experienced by victims,” Blair said in a statement.

“For a person of faith, however, there can be no doubt that evil and sin also call for remedies that are profoundly spiritual,” the archbishop added.