KILDARE, Ireland, APRIL 22, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today accepted the resignation of another Irish bishop who asked to step down in the wake of the widespread sexual abuse scandal in this country.
Bishop James Moriarty of Kildare and Leighlin offered his resignation in December, after the Murphy Report was published.
In a statement today, the 73-year-old prelate said: «I did not anticipate resigning when I first read the Murphy Report, because I was not directly criticized. However, the Murphy Report covers far more than what individual bishops did or did not do. Renewal must begin with accepting responsibility for the past.
«I served as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Dublin from 1991 until my appointment to this diocese in 2002. I was part of the governance of the archdiocese prior to when correct child protection policies and procedures were implemented. Again I accept that from the time I became an auxiliary bishop, I should have challenged the prevailing culture. Once more I apologize to all survivors and their families.»
Hanoi
Also today, Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon of Da Lat, president of the Vietnamese episcopal conference, as coadjutor archbishop of Hanoi.
He will serve under Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, 57, and with Auxiliary Bishop Laurent Chu Van Minh.
Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon was born in Da Lat in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1967 and a bishop in 1991.
The Archdiocese of Hanoi has about 335,000 Catholics in a population of some 5.4 million. The faithful are served by 91 priests and 322 religious.
