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So, has the bishop now "resigned"?
Technically, no. The word "resignation" is not used in the statement posted on the . In previous high-profile episcopal departures, there has been no doubt that a resignation was offered to the Pope. Eamonn Casey resigned as Bishop of Galway in 1992 after reports of an affair, and Brendan Comiskey, then Bishop of Ferns, presented his resignation to the Vatican in 2002 following claims that he had mishandled allegations of child abuse by Fr Sean Fortune. In this case, John Magee has not presented his resignation, but has "stepped aside" from the governance of his diocese and the duties and powers of the Bishop of Cloyne. His diocese will now be governed by Archbishop Dermot Clifford, acting as an Apostolic Administrator. Nevertheless, it is possible that he may still decide to resign, or be encouraged to resign, sometime before his retirement date.

What's an Apostoloic Administrator?
An Apostolic Administrator is a prelate appointed by the Pope to run the diocese temporarily. An Administrator could be appointed for a number of reasons, including cases where a bishop is incapacitated. In this case, Bishop Magee says he requested the appointment of an Administrator to enable him "to devote the neccessary time and energy to cooperating fully with the government Commission of Inquiry into child protection practices and procedures in the Diocese of Cloyne".

What does this amount to?
It looks like the church has found a mechanism enabling Bishop Magee to resign without resigning. It could be seen as a face-saving departure for the bishop, but it is a departure nontheless. He has removed himself from the duties of office, while retaining the title reserved to that office. At 72, Dr Magee is three years short of the mandatory retirement age. He can now serve out that time still using the title "Bishop of Cloyne", and retire without the personal ignomy of a resignation. Meanwhile, Cardinal Brady can issue a statement lauding the move as "an indication of the importance which the church gives to safeguarding children and caring for the needs of victims," and child welfare campaigners can be satisfied that the bishop is no longer in charge at the diocese of Cloyne.

Will this satisfy those who called for John Magee's resignation?
There are some questions that still linger. Why couldn't this arrangement have been put in place earlier? We learned about the bishop's alleged mishandling of child abuse allegations in December: Was the bishop quietly nudged towards this decision, or did he seek the appointment of an Administrator quite independently of any pressure from the hierarchy? If, in essence, he was forced into this move by his superiors, why did it take more than three months for his removal from the duties of office?

Others may be less than satisfied with the apparent figleaf that's been offered to the bishop to protect him from the immodesty of a resignation. Some may even believe that a bishop who fails to comply with the church's child protection guidelines should be sacked unceremonisously and without any kind of ecclesiastical cover.