VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a Brazilian bishop who was accused of turning a blind eye to suspected pedophile priests in his diocese, the Vatican said on Wednesday.
The Vatican said the Pope accepted the resignation of Bishop Aldo di Cillo Pagotto of Paraiba, 66, citing a section of Church law under which bishops are obliged to tender their resignation if they are ill or if there is “grave cause”.
Under normal circumstances, he would have remained bishop until he turned 75. Last year, the Church stripped Mr Pagotto of his power to ordain priests while the accusations against him were being investigated.
Mr Pagatto had been accused of allowing men into seminaries in his diocese to become priests even though they had been rejected from other places in Brazil because they were suspected child abusers. Last month, the Pope issued a new decree saying bishops found to have been negligent when dealing with cases of sexual abuse could be investigated.
