Bishop Hoeppner resigns at the request of Pope Francis
Bishop Hoeppner was publicly accused of trying to cover up allegations of sexual abuse against a priest of the diocese.
| Wed, 14 Apr 2021
ROME:
Bishop Michael Hoeppner resigned at the request of Pope Francis on Tuesday after the Vatican began a probe against him for allegedly interfering with past investigations into clergy sexual abuse.
In 2019, Bishop Hoeppner was publicly accused of trying to cover up allegations of sexual abuse against a priest of the diocese.
Bishop Hoeppner is the first bishop known to be investigated by the Vatican under a 2019 law that Francis approved laying out the procedures to conduct preliminary investigations against bishops accused of sex abuse or cover-ups.
Meanwhile, the Vatican appointed Rev. Richard E. Pate, the retired Bishop of Des Moines, as a temporary administrator.
(Edited by Ladiangti Rani)
