Pope accepts Bishop Comiskey 's resignation

BY SIMON MARTELL!
POPE JOHN PAUL II has accepted the resignation of an Irish bishop who was heavily criticised for not doing enough to prevent the activities of a suspected paedophile priest.
Bishop Brendan Oliver Comiskey of Ferns announced his resignation on April 1 and apologised for his handling of the sex abuse allegations in his diocese. The Pope accepted his resignation last Saturday.
The Vatican appointed Auxiliary Bishop Eamonn Walsh of Dublin as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Ferns, a rare step taken only when "special or very serious circumstances prevent the normal governance of the diocese".
In a statement, Bishop Walsh offered his sincere apologies to all who had suffered clerical abuse, and said: "In my caretaker capacity I will fully co-operate with whatever instrument of inquiry is deemed most appropriate in our search for the truth."
The priest at the centre of the scandal, Sean Fortune, committed suicide in 1999. He was facing 66 criminal charges of sexual abuse involving eight boys. Four suicides have been linked to him.
Former Irish government Minister George Birmingham has been appointed to advise on the nature of any inquiry.
The Irish bishops held an emergency meeting on Monday at which they decided to carry out an independent audit "so the truth can be established".
"The safety of children, the welfare of victims and the common good are our supreme concerns and shall be the sole determining factors in the carrying out of this audit," they said.