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  Irish Bishop Plans to Quit over Clerical Abuse Scandal

By Henry McDonald
Guardian
December 7, 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/07/bishop-abuse-resignation

IRELAND--An Irish bishop is expected to resign later today in front of the pope over the clerical abuse scandal in Ireland.

Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray travelled to Rome where he will tender his resignation from the post.

His departure comes after he was singled out for criticism in the devastating report into clerical child sex abuse in the Dublin diocese, Ireland's most populous parish.

The Murphy report found that Murray reacted "inexcusably" to one known case of child abuse. He was also criticised for badly handing complaints and suspicions of further abuse of children in the city.

There has been no official reaction from the Catholic church today but the bishop told parishioners yesterday he was "reflecting on the decision he now has to make".

On Saturday the leader of Ireland's Catholics, Cardinal Seán Brady, called on all named in the report to act soon in light of the commission's findings that cover-ups of clerical child abuse had taken place in the Dublin archdiocese.

Brady is due to travel to the Vatican next week to discuss the Murphy report with Pope Benedict.Brady will be accompanied by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, the head of the church in Dublin.

Brady said that he would resign himself if a child had been abused as a result of any failure on his part.

Meanwhile Ireland's foreign minister, Michael Martin, has expressed "deep disappointment" at the lack of response by the pope to the Murphy report.

The pope's representative in Ireland, Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Leanza, will be summoned to the department of foreign affairs later this week to explain why he has not responded to the report's findings.

"I think we will be pointing out that we need a substantive response," Michael Martin said.

 
 

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