Argentine bishop seen frolicking with woman quits

Pope Benedict XVI leads the Corpus Domini celebration at St. John at the Lateran Basilica in Rome June 7, 2012. / AP Photo

(AP) VATICAN CITY - The pope has accepted the resignation of an Argentine bishop photographed frolicking on a Mexican beach with a woman, one of several personnel changes announced Tuesday by the Vatican before the pontiff heads off for summer vacation.

Monsignor Fernando Maria Bargallo, bishop of Merlo-Moreno outside Buenos Aires, initially denied having had any improper relationship with the woman, whom he described as a childhood friend. But the 57-year-old Bargallo later decided to step down under the church rule that lets bishops retire before age 75 if they're found to be unfit for office.

Photographs of the encounter were broadcast on television last week and have been circulating on the Internet.

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The resignation was one of several personnel changes announced Tuesday by the Vatican before the pope leaves next week for Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence in the hills south of Rome. The Vatican frequently announces a rash of personnel moves before the pope leaves town and the Vatican slows down for the summer.

Benedict named a new chief librarian, a regent for a Vatican court, and a new prefect for the office that deals with family issues. He also named a former close collaborator in his old doctrine office, Monsignor Joseph Di Noia, to be the No. 2 negotiator with the schismatic traditionalist group, the Society of St. Pius X.

Italian media had speculated Benedict might soon let Cardinal William Levada, his successor at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, retire. At 76, the American Levada is a year beyond retirement age but popes frequently ask their trusted advisers to stay on.

Also left in place was Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Benedict's longtime deputy and the 77-year-old Vatican secretary of state. Bertone has been a target of the scandal over leaked Vatican documents, many of which have sought to undermine his authority.

Benedict has recently stressed his faith in his collaborators, and the Vatican spokesman has cautioned against media speculation over a possible Bertone resignation.

[epsilonmk13]

DAMNIT. The only priest who isn't into little boys and he quits.

[Ericwvb]

The Catholic Church sure goes into overdrive investigating and banishing out priests for the unforgivable sin of having healthy, consensual relationships with other adults. Protecting little girls and boys from being molested and raped by their priests? Not so much ...

[honest_pols]

Amen to those who support removing the Tax Exempt status of just about the most corrupt and most profitable fraud that ever existed.

Notifying our Lawmakers in DC and in our respective cities and states, is a good start.

[credibility2]

The cockroaches who hate the Pope and the Catholic Church are out of their trenches again.

[Jesse329]

Ye without sin cast the first stone!

[sd92129]

I second the cast!

[fredisalive]

yeah, they punish a guy for being with a woman and move to a different parish those pesky child rapists! Please purge the earth of religion!

[sd92129]

Here Here!

[tryingtodogoodwork]

In the 21st century, is there anything dumber than religion?

Oops, I was forgetting that there's the GOP.

[RepubsRFiscallyLiberal]

Obviously, you don't understand the word "irony", Misanthrope.

Open the dictionary.

[audemus]

At least it wasn't a little boy he was "frolicking" with....

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Remember, priests! No women allowed! Only underage boys!

[RepubsRFiscallyLiberal]

LMAO!

[sd92129]

Here Here!

[formerlyluvnut]

by MojitoMamma June 26, 2012 1:45 PM EDT
Let's just excommunicate the CC from the planet, and be done with it.
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ALL churches and religions actually.