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A Roman Catholic diocese in Rhode Island on Monday publicly named 50 church leaders who have been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children.

The damning list was posted on the Providence diocese website — and includes 19 priests and deacons who are still alive. Most have been removed from ministry, with one priest having resigned.

The other 31 are dead, according to the diocese.

Of the listed, 17 — including four who are still alive — were not in the database of accused Rhode Island priests maintained by BishopAccountability.org, a website that tracks the Catholic abuse crisis nationwide, according to WPRI.

Bishop Thomas Tobin called its release "a difficult but necessary moment" in the history of the church.

"The publication of this list is an expression of the transparency we want to encourage, and the accountability we need to accept," he wrote in a letter accompanying the list.

He offered a "profound apology" to victims, saying, "We pray fervently that God will give you the grace of healing and peace.

"As Jesus is our witness, we will continue to do everything in our power to remove sexual abuse from the Church."

The diocese hired a retired detective to review 70 years of files and use his "independent, expert judgment in determining whether to place particular clergy on the list," it said.

"As this list is made public, it is our hope that it provides healing and consolation to those who have been harmed and is a sign of our ongoing commitment to transparency and protecting children and youth," the diocese said in a statement.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, is still calling on Rhode Island's attorney general to independently investigate.

"While we are grateful for the bit of transparency shown by the Diocese of Providence today, we know that the best way to get full transparency and a true accounting of the problem is by relying on secular, independent officials," it said in a statement.

The Attorney General's Office is already reviewing allegations of sexual abuse by clergy and plans to cross-reference the list with previous allegations and disclosures, AG Peter Neronha's spokeswoman, Kristy dosReis, said Monday.

"While release of this list is a step forward, we do not view it as the end of the process," she said in a statement.