Researchers commissioned by US Roman Catholic bishops to analyse the pattern of clergy sex abuse over decades have concluded that homosexuality, celibacy and an all-male priesthood did not cause the scandal.

America’s top bishop said the days of sheltering sex abusers in the Roman Catholic priesthood were “history”, following reports showing the extent of assaults on children over the last half-century and saying church leaders bore much of the blame.

AMERICAN bishops were blamed yesterday for failing to stop widespread clerical sex abuse which resulted in almost 11,000 abuse claims against Catholic clergy over the past 50 years.