Pope accepts resignation of Irish bishop

[March 24, 2010]  VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Irish Bishop John Magee in the country's sex abuse scandal.

The 73-year-old Magee has been accused of mishandling complaints against priests in his diocese of Cloyne. The Vatican said Wednesday without elaboration that the pope had accepted his resignation.

Before being assigned to Ireland, Magee served as secretary to Popes Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II.

Irish government-ordered investigations have documented decades of child abuse and church cover-ups.

In a letter released Saturday by the Vatican, the pope apologized for decades of abuse but took no action against bishops blamed for cover-ups.

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THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

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BERLIN (AP) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet is meeting Wednesday to establish an expert panel in response to the recent spate of sexual abuse allegations in the Roman Catholic church and elsewhere.

The panel will be headed by the ministries of Justice, Family and Education and first meet on April 23. It will include 40 experts from the government, the church, charities and educational institutions.

Merkel has said before that the panel should examine past abuses and also reevaluate Germany's current statute of limitations on sex crimes as well as possible compensation for abuse victims.

Germany has been rocked by a sexual abuse scandal at Roman Catholic and secular schools for several weeks with more than 250 victims having come forward.

[Associated Press]

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