The Vatican Press Office said the pontiff had accepted the resignation of 58-year-old Kannikadass Antony William, who has faced multiple accusations of wrongdoing including sexual misconduct, corruption, kidnapping and even collusion in murder.
Replaced by an apostolic administrator a year ago, Bishop William has now resigned from the diocese in Karnataka. Many in the local clergy were against him, accusing him of taking lovers and fathering children. For the Bishops’ Conference, his resignation reflected “the distressing situation in the diocese”, and was “not a disciplinary measure”.