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	Bishop Finally Resigns By Kevin Doyle Herald December 17, 2009 http://www.herald.ie/national-news/bishop-finally-resigns-1979816.html Ireland -- Bishop Donal Murray finally resigned today, three weeks after he was criticised for his failure to deal with a paedophile priest. The Bishop told Mass-goers that his resignation "cannot undo the pain that survivors of abuse have suffered". "I humbly apologise once again to all who were abused as little children," he added. The now ex-Bishop of Limerick was heavily criticised by the Murphy Report into clerical sex abuse in Dublin. The investigation named Murray as someone who did not deal properly with suspicions in relation to Fr Tom Naughton, yesterday jailed for abusing a six-year-old altar boy more than 70 times in Wicklow in the 1980s. In a brief statement, the Vatican said: "His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Donal Murray." The Pope offered no further apology for the appaling crimes inflicted on children in the Dublin region. Bishop Murray's resignation comes after weeks of intense negotiations between the Vatican and the Church hierarchy in Ireland. Last week, the Bishop met the head of the Congregation of Bishops, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, to explain his handling of the abuse cases and to ask that he notify the Pope of his wish to step down as Bishop of Limerick. The resignation took effect from 11am today when the now ex-Bishop addressed a congregation of around 200 massgoers, priests and journalists in St John's Cathedral in Limerick. Dressed in his black habit, he arrived onto the alter accompanied by five members of the clergy from the diocese. "To all survivors of abuse I repeat that my primary concern is to assist in every way that I can, on their journey towards finding closure and serenity," he said. "A bishop is meant to be a person who seeks to lead and inspire all the people of the diocese in living as a community united in the truth and love of Christ. "I asked the Holy Father to allow me to resign and to appoint a new bishop to the Diocese because I believe that my presence will create difficulties for some of the survivors who must have first place in our thoughts and prayers." The Murphy Report said many bishops were more concerned with preserving the reputation of the church than protecting children. It is thought that Bishop Murray's departure could spark at least two further resignations by Dublin auxiliary bishops, Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field, both of whom maintain they have done no wrong. There were immediate calls for the Bishop's resignation after the release of the report on November 26, but he initially said that he would decide after consultation with his parishoners and friends. Today, he said that he received correspondence via letter, text, email and phone and was grateful for them all. "Some expressed the wish that I should resign; others asked me not to do so," he said. RESIGNATION Although the resignation wasn't announced until today, Bishop Murray informed the Vicars General of the Diocese on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 1 of his decision to offer his resignation. In a final statement on the matter today, he expressed his appreciation to Cardinal Brady "who was unfailingly supportive and helpful to him during this time". In concluding his remarks today, the Bishop said: "Let my last words as Bishop of Limerick be those I spoke in St Joseph's on November 29 last: "We are people who believe that God's mercy and God's healing are without limit. "We are meant to be bearers of that hope to one another and especially to people whose trust was betrayed when they were just little children and who endured the terror, helplessness and suffering inflicted by a frightening and dominant adult. They should always have a special place in our prayers'." His final act was to light three candles on the advent wreath.
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