Post #22

Excerpt from The Irish Times:  Pope accepts another Irish bishop's resignation

Pope Benedict XVI has formally accepted the resignation of Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Jim Moriarty.

Following the resignation of Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick last December, Bishop Moriarty is the second Irish bishop to have his resignation accepted in the wake of the fallout from the Murphy report.

The acceptance of Bishop Moriarty’s resignation comes as no surprise, since he himself had made it known in recent weeks that he expected it to be confirmed by the Holy See.

Bishop Moriarty confirmed that he had spoken about his decision to resign during Pope Benedict’s February meeting with the Irish bishops in the Vatican.

Calling his resignation “the most difficult decision of my ministry”, Bishop Moriarty confessed that he had not originally intended to resign following the publication of the Murphy report.

“However, renewal must begin with accepting the responsibility for the past. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that we needed a new beginning, and that I could play my part in opening the way,” he said in a statement today.

"I know that words of apology are not enough. Before speaking on other matters, it is important to be able to report that, learning from the past, the Irish Church now has excellent child safeguarding procedures in place.

"The truth is that the long struggle of survivors to be heard and respected by church authorities has revealed a culture within the Church that many would simply describe as unchristian. People do not recognise the gentle, endless love of the Lord in narrow interpretations of responsibility and a basic lack of compassion and humility."

Speculation remains rife that Cardinal Seán Brady, currently in poor health and also under pressure to resign because of his involvement in a case involving the mismanagement of notorious paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, could yet offer his resignation.

On top of that, the pope last month also accepted the resignation of Bishop John Magee of Cloyne.

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0422/breaking20.html