Pope Francis walks past cardinals after celebrating a Pentecost Mass in St. Peter鈥檚 Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, June 9, 2019. The Pentecost Mass is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter. (AP)
SANTIAGO, Chile 鈥� Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the auxiliary bishop of the Chilean capital city just 24 days after he appointed him to the post, church officials said Friday.
Bishop Carlos Eugenio Irarr谩zabal had become embroiled in controversy after he recently said there were no women at the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples so 鈥渨e have to respect that.鈥� He also said that perhaps women 鈥渓ike to be in the back room.鈥�
The Santiago Archdiocese said in a statement that the pope鈥檚 decision came after talking with Irarr谩zabal, who joins the more than 30 Chilean bishops who presented their resignations in 2018 after a report ordered by Francis revealed a culture of abuse and cover-ups for decades in Chile鈥檚 church.
In a statement issued by the archdiocese later Friday, Irarr谩zabal said that he wanted to 鈥渞eiterate my apologies to those have been affected by my comments.鈥�
He will remain in charge of a parish in Santiago where in 2011 he replaced Fernando Karadima, Chile鈥檚 most infamous pedophile priest.