1.   And they could not say how long it will take to regain the trust they have lost through their own past failure to keep predatory priests away from children.

2.   And they voiced unease with how their church has been portrayed, accurately or not, as a harbor for sexually predatory priests.

3.   Earlier this month a senior bishop in Ireland, Brendan Comiskey, resigned after admitting he had not done enough to protect children from a predatory priest.

4.   Roman Catholic bishops and cardinals quietly transfer predatory priests to new parishes rather than face scandal.

5.   The Holy See has thwarted American bishops who want to make it easier under canon law to dismiss predatory priests.

6.   The meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday will focus primarily on how to protect children from predatory priests, the officials said.

7.   There could well be changes in canon law, as well, to make it easier to get rid of predatory priests.