A former Catholic bishop has described his "gradual awakening to the horror of sexual abuse in the church" at a NSW inquiry.
Bishop Michael Malone, formerly the head of the Maitland-Newcastle diocese, says he met with "indifference" from some members of the clergy when he began to speak out for victims of child sex abuse.
Bishop Malone told a special commission of inquiry in Newcastle on Monday that he began to speak publicly for victims and their families in 2005 but there was little interest, even from priests in the diocese he ran.
"It was not overt ostracisation, it was more of an indifference to me and the things I was saying," he said.
He said bad feelings had emerged around 2004 and divided the region's Catholic community.
"Some people had eggs thrown at their houses, I had eggs thrown at my house," he said.
The commission is examining how the church and police handled child sexual abuse allegations involving priests James Fletcher and Denis McAlinden.
Fr Fletcher was convicted of child sexual assault in 2005 and died in jail.
Fr McAlinden, who made admissions to church leaders about his abuse of children dating back to the 1950s, died in 2008.
Bishop Malone concluded his time in witness box by reading a prepared statement that included an apology to victims.
"My 17 years as bishop of the diocese of Maitland/Newcastle saw a gradual awakening in me to the horror of sexual abuse in the church," he read.
"During those years the diocese moved from shock and disbelief to an angry rejection of such criminal behaviour of some clergy and church personnel.
"Any organisation runs the risk of becoming a cold and indifferent bureaucracy and that includes the Catholic church."
Bishop Malone said vulnerable children and adults were criminally exploited and now "constant vigilance and authentic accountability" were needed to mitigate the situation.
Since 2005 his diocese had attempted to redress past failures and neglect by offering child protection services, better training for church personnel, promptly attending to abuse cases and supporting victims and their families, he said.
He praised the diocese's current leader, Bishop William Wright, on his apology to victims last week and said he felt sorrow for any action of his own that may have added to the pain of victims and their families.
"The evils of sexual abuse should never have happened, but they did, (and) with better systems in place may they never happen again."
The commission continues on Tuesday.
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