Cardinal Barbarin says Pope has refused his offer to resign

Philippe Barbarin, the French Roman Catholic cardinal convicted this month of failing to report sexual abuse allegations, said on Tuesday that Pope Francis had turned down his offer to resign.

“On Monday morning, I put forward my resignation to the hands of the Holy Father. Invoking the presumption of innocence, he declined to accept this resignation,” said Barbarin in a statement set by France’s Lyon Catholic Church.

Barbarin is appealing the verdict against him.

Reporting by Marine Pennetier and Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Catherine Evans