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	Pope Accepts Resignation of Irish Bishop over Abuse (update2) By Louisa Fahy and Jeffrey Donovan Bloomberg December 17, 2009 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aRWA5ofYuX7M Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Irish bishop Donal Murray after a report criticized his handling of allegations of child sex abuse. The announcement by the Vatican in a statement on its Web site today comes three weeks after the publication of the Murphy report, the second this year to document abuse of children by clerics in Ireland. Murray resigned because his presence “would create difficulties for some of the survivors,” he said in remarks broadcast by RTE radio. According to the report, senior clergy moved priests to a different location when told of allegations. In 1994, Murray declined to mention concerns about “behavorial difficulties” to a priest a young man said had abused him. Murray also decided to move another priest to a different parish after the priest said he was attracted to a young girl, according to the report. “I know full well that my resignation cannot undo the pain that survivors of abuse have suffered in the past, and continue to suffer every day,” Murray said. “I humbly apologize once again to all those who were abused as little children.” The report examined how the church handled claims of sex abuse against a sample of 46 priests in the Dublin diocese between 1975 and 2004. The pope said last week he planned to write a pastoral letter indicating what action will be taken in response to the situation. To contact the reporters responsible for this story: Louisa Fahy at lnesbitt@bloomberg.net. Jeffrey Donovan at jdonovan26@bloomberg.net
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