Pope accepts resignation of Quebec bishop accused of sexual abuse

Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Oct. 14, 2015. (Gregorio Borgia / AP)

Pope Francis on Tuesday said he had accepted the resignation of a Canadian bishop who has been named in a class-action lawsuit against the church that alleges sexual assault.

The pope did not give a reason for replacing Jean-Pierre Blais, the 75-year-old bishop of Baie-Comeau in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec.

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But in a statement, he noted that any bishop who turns 75 is automatically requested to offer his resignation. The pope makes a decision on whether to accept the offer “after he has examined all the circumstances,” the statement said.

Blais is mentioned in a list of sexual predators filed as part of a victims' class action against the Archdiocese of Quebec. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Diocese of Baie-Comeau were not immediately available to comment on the pope’s decision.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren, editing by Caroline Stauffer and Hugh Lawson)