A SENIOR cardinal who moved to protect the Vatican by restricting access to church records during inquiries into allegations of clerical sex abuse has resigned.

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Angelo Sodano as Dean of the College of Cardinals, some of the most senior advisers to the pontiff. The college also convenes to elect new popes.

The Vatican said the 92-year-old Italian stepped down because of his “advanced age”. Cardinal Sodano had served as Vatican Secretary of State for 15 years before succeeding Joseph Ratzinger as dean of the college when he became Pope in 2005.

Last year former president Mary McAleese described a meeting that she had with Cardinal Sodano as “one of the most devastating moments” of her presidency.

The pair met during a state visit to Italy in 2003. During the private meeting, Ms McAleese said the cardinal tried to seek an agreement that would see church documents protected by the church and State. Ms McAleese said she interrupted the conversation, saying it could not continue.

At the time the church was the subject of two high-profile inquiries in Ireland. The Ryan Commission was investigating the treatment of children in industrial schools and the Ferns Inquiry was examining clerical child sex abuse.

Ms McAleese said it was clear during their exchange that Cardinal Sodano wanted to protect the Vatican and church archives.

“I told him I thought it extraordinarily inappropriate and very, very dangerous to the church, if it was pursued,” she told The Irish Times afterwards.

“What he [Cardinal Sodano] was asking for was an agreement between the Holy See and the Irish government under which church documentation would be protected by the church and the State would, clearly, have no access to it. That was what he seemed to be saying.”

Pope Francis thanked the cardinal for his service, “dedication and efficiency” before announcing that from now on the post will be held for five years. It can then be renewed if necessary. Up to now the post had no time limit and deans previously held the position until their resignation or death.

Deans who now vacate the role at the end of their mandate will receive the title Dean Emeritus.

“Now the Cardinal Bishops have to elect a new dean,” Pope Francis said. “I am hoping they will elect someone who can carry this important responsibility full time.”

The announcement came as the Pope presented his Christmas wishes in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican and addressed the issue of church reform.

“Here there are persons who necessarily need time to grow; there are historical situations to be dealt with on a daily basis, since in the process of the reform the world and history do not stop; there are juridical and institutional questions that need to be resolved gradually, without magic formulas or shortcuts,” he said.

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