resignation

Father Zollner expressed his hope that the commission’s new home will push the commission to take seriously the principles of “transparency, compliance and responsibility,” the lack of which he cited as the reason for his departure.

The vice president of the German bishops’ conference, Bishop Franz-Josef Bode, has become the first Catholic bishop in Germany to resign in connection with the abuse scandal.

Pope Francis said he wrote a resignation letter in 2013, his first year in office, to be used in case he was physically or mentally impaired and unable to fulfill the duties of the papacy.

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Nicholas J. Samra of the Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Newton in Massachusetts and named as his successor Father François E. Beyrouti, a priest of the eparchy who is currently pastor of Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church in Placentia, California.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Reuters news agency, Pope Francis condemned abortion, dismissed the idea that he’s preparing to resign and said he still hopes to be able to visit Russia and Ukraine in the fall.

Vatican prosecutors continued their cross-examination May 18-19 of Cardinal Becciu in a Vatican trial focused on financial malfeasance and mismanagement.

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Kurtz Feb. 8, 2022, who is 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to turn in their resignation to the pope, and named Bishop Fabre to succeed him.

The Vatican had no comment on the reports, and as of midday Dec. 18, the pope had not accepted the resignation of the 73-year-old cardinal, the only African currently heading a major Vatican office.