Pope Francis on Thursday
accepted the resignation of Monsignor Mario Oliveri, the bishop
of Albenga-Imperia near Savona in northern Italy, following a
scandal surrounding priests in his diocese.
The resignation was increasingly expected following a
private meeting between Oliveri and the pope in the Vatican on
April 25.
Officially the reason for Oliveri stepping down is due to
the 72-year-old's need to look after a relative, but sources
close to the matter say the pope had wanted to remove him after
that meeting and after speaking to Marc Ouellet, prefect of the
congregation for bishops.
Scandals that emerged in Oliveri's diocese included priests
posting naked photos on gay websites, funds stolen from the
church and priests involved and cases of child abuse. He has
been accused by other church leaders of failing to carefully
examine the motivations of aspiring priests.
Pope Francis has nominated Monsignor Guglielmo Borghetti in
his place. Borghetti has been Oliveri's assistant since March
2015 on the pope's request.
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