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Belgian Catholic bishop resigns | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The bishop of the Belgian city of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, has resigned after admitting sexual abuse of a boy earlier in his career. | |
Bishop Vangheluwe said the abuse had happened when he was a simple priest and continued when he started as a bishop, a Vatican statement said. | |
The Vatican said Pope Benedict XVI had accepted the resignation. | |
The Catholic Church has come under severe pressure over child sexual abuse allegations emerging across the world. | |
Bishop Vangheluwe's decision to quit is the latest in a series of resignations to be offered or accepted. | |
It was announced on Thursday that the German Bishop of Augsburg, who had been accused of beating children at a Catholic children's home in the 1970s and 1980s, had tendered his resignation. | |
Bishop Walter Mixa, who has not been accused of sexual abuse, has also been under pressure over allegations of financial irregularities at a children's school under his responsibility. | |
This week the Pope also accepted the resignation of Bishop James Moriarty of Kildare in Ireland and US Bishop John Favalora of Miami, both in connection with abuse cases. | |
The Pope said on Wednesday the Church was taking "action" over abuse against children by priests, in his most direct remarks to date on the recent allegations. | The Pope said on Wednesday the Church was taking "action" over abuse against children by priests, in his most direct remarks to date on the recent allegations. |
Meanwhile in Germany, where recent allegations have caused widespread anger, Church figures were expected to participate in a round-table discussion about widespread abuse in schools. |