VATICAN CITY, Holy See (AFP) – Pope Francis on Monday accepted the resignation of a US bishop he only appointed on June 19 but who is now under investigation for alleged child sexual abuse.
Bishop-elect Michael Mulloy, 66, resigned from the position he had been due to take up at Duluth, Minnesota, the Vatican said.
The resignation came after the launch of an investigation into alleged child sexual abuse in another US state dating back to the 1980s.
Following Mulloy’s June appointment – and before he had time to take up his position – the diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, said that on August 7 it had received the allegation against him.
They informed the police and told Mulloy to step back from church activities. The diocese’s own preliminary investigation concluded that the allegation warranted further investigation.
After they sent their findings to the Vatican and a summary to Mulloy, he resigned from the post he had been due to take up on October 1.
