As he announced he would do after he was convicted of covering up sexual abuse committed by a priest, French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon met Pope Francis March 18 to hand in his resignation.
The Vatican confirmed the meeting took place but gave no details and no immediate sign of whether the Pope agreed that the 68-year-old cardinal should step down.
The cardinal's lawyers have filed an appeal of the conviction, which was handed down March 7 by a French court. Cardinal Barbarin was given a six-month suspended sentence.
