The Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey, has resigned today following criticism over his handling of sex abuse allegations against a priest in his diocese.
At a press conference at the Diocesan Office in Wexford this afternoon, Dr Comiskey said he had tendered his resignation to the Pope last Thursday and would be visiting the Vatican later this week to formalise it.
For almost a fortnight Dr Comiskey has refused to comment on a BBC Correspondent documentary which criticised his handling of the issue and raised further questions about child abuse in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Bishop said he had "done his best" to deal with the affair but "clearly that was not good enough". Dr Comiskey said he had found Fr Fortune "almost impossible to deal with".
The Minister for Health Mr Micheál Martin will meet Fr Fortune's victims to decide whether to launch an independent inquiry.
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The Bishop began his statement by apologising to four men whose cases were explored in the documentary, which will be screened on RTE tomorrow.
He also apologised to "all who have been abused by priests of the diocese". He said: "The sexual abuse of children is deeply abhorrent to me. I apologise also to the families of victims and to all others who have been offended or hurt in different ways by Fr Sean Fortune.
"In endeavouring to deal with the complexity and the conflict, which always surrounded Fr Fortune and already existed prior to my appointment as Bishop of Ferns in 1984, I can only assure you that I did my best. Clearly that was not good enough.
"I found Fr Fortune virtually impossible to deal with. I confronted him regularly, for a time I removed him from Ministry, I sought professional advice in several quarters, I listened to criticisms and praises, I tried compassion and I tried firmness. Treatment was sought and arranged.
"And yet I never managed to achieve any level of satisfactory outcome."
Dr Comiskey continued: "Fr Fortune committed very grave wrongs and hurt many people."
Archbishop Sean Brady and Cardinal Desmond Connell, respectively the president and vice president of the Irish Episcopal Conference, and said they were "deeply saddened" by Dr Comiskey's resignation.
They condemned the "grave and repugnant evil" of child abuse by priests and said the affair had damaged the reputation of the Catholic Church.
In a joint statement they also offered their "profound apologies" to the victims of Fr Fortune and others affected by his actions.
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They said: "We realise that the whole Church in Ireland is suffering at this time from the scandal caused by this evil and the manner in which it was dealt with at times. It is a scandal which has evoked entirely justified outrage.
"We are greatly saddened by the circumstances surrounding Bishop Comiskey's resignation. It is his own personal decision and comes out of a context of deep human suffering, both of victims of abuse and of himself.
"We realise that the events of recent weeks have also caused great distress and anxiety to the faithful throughout Ireland, particularly those of the diocese of Ferns and the parishes affected." They added: "Not only has trust in the Catholic Church been damaged, but so too has the faith of the people and the morale of clergy."
Before Fr Fortune began work in Wexford he was sent to England following allegations of sexual abuse. He returned to Ireland after a therapist was unable to diagnose him as an abuser.
On his return, he became a high-profile church figure in Wexford through his work with the Christian Media Trust. This role gave him public recognition through radio interviews and press exposure and also allowed him to work closely with young broadcast trainees - one of whom would later claim to have been raped by the priest.
The Minister for Justice Mr O'Donoghue will have discussions with the Minister for Health Mr Martin over the Garda handling of the case and will also meet with the Attorney General, Mr Michael McDowell, over the matter.