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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Kirsten Grieshaber

German bishop resigns, cites responsibility in abuse scandal

AP/JOERG SARBACH

Pope Francis on Saturday accepted a resignation request from a German bishop who asked to step down because of his mistakes in handling sexual abuse cases.

Franz-Josef Bode, who has been the bishop of Osnabrueck, Germany, since 1995, said in a personal statement that his decision to resign “has matured in me in recent months” and he hoped it would have a liberating effect on the diocese.

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