An evangelist whose long record of anti-Catholic preaching became a scandal when Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, received his endorsement with great fanfare, has issued a letter expressing regret for "any comments that Catholics have found hurtful."

The letter from John C. Hagee came after weeks of efforts by influential Catholic Republicans to encourage him to draft an apology that would repair any damage to McCain's campaign.

McCain's pursuit of an endorsement by the pastor came under intense scrutiny at the same time that Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic front-runner, was embroiled in controversy over incendiary remarks by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Critics have denounced McCain for failing to distance himself sufficiently from Hagee. McCain said on a Sunday talk show two weeks ago that he is "glad to have his endorsement," although he condemns remarks which are "anti-anything."

Hagee has vilified the Roman Catholic church for years in books and speeches, calling it "the great whore" prophesied in the Book of Revelation. In his book, "Jerusalem Countdown," he accused the Vatican of collaborating with Hitler in the Holocaust.

Hagee has become known for building support for Israel among evangelical Protestants.

"In my zeal to oppose anti-Semitism and bigotry in all its ugly forms, I have often emphasized the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relations with the Jews," he wrote. "In the process, I may have contributed to the mistaken impression that the anti-Jewish violence of the Crusades and the Inquisition defines the Catholic Church. It does not."

Hagee's letter, dated May 12, was addressed to William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights. "Well, miracles do happen," Donohue said Tuesday. "If I wasn't a believer before, I sure am now."

Hagee has recently met with other Catholic leaders, but Donohue refused to meet with Hagee until Hagee apologized. The two are scheduled to meet Thursday.

"Republican activists have been working with him over the last several weeks, giving him books and articles and getting him up to speed and away from the black legends about the Catholic church," Donohue said. "I have to assume he's acting sincerely and now understands" he's been accepting a lot of conspiracy theories.