IF Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray tenders his resignation, the Pope does not have to accept it. There have been several cases in the past where the Pope did not accept the resignation of a bishop for up to two years.
The Congregation for Bishops, one of the most powerful bodies in the Vatican, is believed to be meeting to discuss and consider the case of Bishop Murray, who has faced calls for resignation.
The Congregation -- which is presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the personal appointment of John Paul II -- appointed Bishop Murray and arranges all audiences with the Pope.
Cardinal Battista De also has the power of excommunication.
The process will see Bishop Murray submitting his resignation -- if that is what he chooses to do -- and the Congregation will then examine it. However, the ultimate decision on whether to accept it or not lies with the Pope, and there is no deadline on him making a decision.
The Vatican also has the power to defrock Bishop Murray but that is a punishment it has so far reserved for offending priests and not for the bishops who moved the abusers around.
If his resignation is submitted and accepted, he will not lose his salary, his standing in the Church, or his title.
Moreover, the Irish Bishops' Conference would be obliged under canon law to ensure the upkeep of a bishop who has resigned.
There have been two other high-profile resignations in Ireland in recent times.
The first was Eamon Casey, the Bishop of Galway, who was revealed to have fathered a son from a long-standing affair with an American woman. He was sent abroad -- as a missionary -- and has returned to Ireland on the understanding that he maintain a low profile.
Bishop Brendan Comiskey of Ferns stepped down in 2002 after the extent of the abuse of paedophile Fr Sean Fortune in the Ferns Diocese was revealed.
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