Pope refuses to accept resignation of cardinal over sex abuse scandal

Cardinal Reinhard Marx offered his resignation (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

Pope Francis has refused to accept the resignation offered by German Cardinal Reinhard Marx over the sex abuse scandal in the church.

However, he said a process of reform was necessary and that every bishop must take responsibility for the “catastrophe” of the crisis.

Francis wrote a letter to Mr Marx in response to the German’s bombshell announcement last week that he had offered to resign as archbishop of Munich and Freising over the church’s mishandling of abuse cases.

The Pope refused to accept the resignation and told Mr Marx in the letter he must continue as archbishop.

Francis said that what was necessary instead was a process of reform “that doesn’t consist in words but attitudes that have the courage of putting oneself in crisis, of assuming reality regardless of the consequences”.