Two church officials in Dublin have said that the Pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop James Moriarty.

A NUMBER of priests across the country have expressed their disappointment at how the Vatican has handled the fallout from the Murphy Report and the ongoing revelations of a global clerical abuse cover-up.

The Vatican is expected to announce the Pope's acceptance of the resignation of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin tomorrow.

ARCHBISHOP Diarmuid Martin said he could not agree with some Catholics who wanted the Church to proclaim closure on past clerical child abuse and move on.

UNDER-FIRE bishops are likely to face further pressure, following direct criticism by the Pope of their handling of clerical child sex abuse.

The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Jim Moriarty has told mass-goers that his resignation is likely to be accepted by the Vatican after Easter.

Victims of clerical abuse tonight accused Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of closing ranks with senior clergy over the cover-up of paedophile priests.

The country’s Catholic hierarchy faced further damage tonight after an under-fire Bishop clashed with a colleague over a sickening child abuse scandal.

Garry O’Sullivan argues that, to have a credible long-term future, the Irish Catholic Church needs radical surgery

A second Bishop is signalling he will resign in the wake of the Murphy Report.

Pope Benedict today accepted the resignation of a under-fire Bishop of Limerick Dr Donal Murray over his “inexcusable” mishandling of a child sex abuse case.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin tonight said he hoped justice had been served after a paedophile priest named in a damning State inquiry was jailed for sexually assaulting an altar boy.

THOUSANDS of sports fans around the world have been conned by an internet scam which sold bogus tickets to events at the Beijing Olympics.

GARDAÍ have advised motorists heading to the three-day national ploughing championships, which begins in Tullamore, Co Offaly, tomorrow, todecide on their route beforehand and begin their journey early.

SAVING souls in driving rain and howling wind took an amount of missionary zeal at the opening day of the national and world ploughing championships at Grangeford, Tullow, Co Carlow, yesterday.

SAVING souls in driving rain and howling wind took an amount of missionary zeal at the opening day of the national and world ploughing championships at Grangeford, Tullow, Co Carlow, yesterday.

THIS year 22 young Irish men will begin studying for the priesthood in colleges in Ireland and Rome.

Dr Laurence Ryan, the former bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, has died at the age of 72.

THE Environmental Protection Agency and the Radiological Protection Institute have given a clean bill of health to the Cork industrial site ravaged by fire last week.

LAST week’s Sunday Tribune featured a not-very-revealing article about the contenders to succeed Desmond Connell as Archbishop of Dublin, and installed the Bishop of Derry, Dr Séamus Hegarty, as the favourite.

The new Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin says that there is no place within the priesthood for anybody that harms children.

A new bishop has been appointed to the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.