Cardinal to priests: 'Call the DA right away'

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Archbishop Edward Egan held a "collegial" meeting with hundreds of New York priests Monday to assure them that any future allegations of child abuse would be handled by the proper authorities, a spokesman for the archdiocese said.

One priest who attended the meeting said it helped to restore his faith in the church hierarchy.

Egan, the archbishop of New York, called the meeting not long after his return from the Vatican, where U.S. cardinals met for consultations last week on their handling of allegations of sexual abuse against minors.

About 500 priests attended Monday's private meeting at St. Joseph's Seminary in the Bronx, but few priests were willing to speak to reporters afterward.

New York Archdiocese spokesman Joe Zwilling described the more than three-hour meeting as a very "personal exchange."

EXTRA INFORMATION Background: Egan and other key players  in the Catholic Church scandal

Egan spoke to the group for about 45 minutes, repeating his recent call for all allegations of abuse to be handled by the district attorney's office, Zwilling said. Afterward the priests had an opportunity to speak to one another and to the archbishop.

"If anybody has an allegation, we would hope they go immediately and directly to the civil authorities," Zwilling said.

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A church official told CNN the apparent shift in the way allegations would be handled was largely a matter of resources, pointing out that the district attorney has the ability to investigate a case in a way the church cannot.

Bronx priest Peter Gavigan summed up the cardinal's message: "Call the DA right away."

Gavigan, who spoke briefly to reporters after the meeting, said the church has come a long way in its views on pedophilia, noting that in the past the church believed abusive priests could be cured.

Other church leaders around the state echoed Egan's sentiments.

In Brooklyn, Bishop Thomas Daily appeared with District Attorney Charles Hines to announce his diocese would also forward all abuse allegations to prosecutors.

Syracuse Bishop James Moynihan made a similar appearance. "If anyone has been harmed by members of our clergy, come forward," he said.