VATICAN CITY – The pope has accepted the resignation of a Chilean bishop who is under investigation by the Vatican for allegedly sexually abusing a minor.
The resignation of Bishop Marco Antonio Ordenes Fernandez of Iquique, Chile, marks only the second known time that a bishop has resigned amid sex abuse allegations. In 2010, the then-Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, quit after admitting he had molested his nephew for years starting when he a young boy.
The Vatican said Tuesday that the pope has accepted Ordenes' resignation under the code of canon law that says a bishop must resign if he is sick or because some other "grave" reason makes him unsuitable for his job.
The 47-year-old Ordenes is ill. But the Vatican Embassy in Santiago confirmed it was investigating him and offering help to victims.
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