Slovenia's Archbishops resign over financial issues

PanARMENIAN.Net - Slovenia's top Catholic Church dignitaries have resigned in the wake of financial problems involving one of the dioceses in the country, The Associated Press reports.

Apostolic Nuncio Juliusz Janusz said Pope Francis has accepted the resignations of the Archbishop of Ljubljana, Anton Stres, and the Archbishop of Maribor, Marjan Turnsek. Temporary administrators have been appointed.

The scandal of financial mismanagement at the church in Maribor dates back to 2011, when media reported the diocese suffered losses of up to 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) on bad investments. Maribor's previous bishop, Franc Kramberger, resigned over the issue.

Stres and Turnsek were at the time also allegedly involved in the diocese's finances, though they argue they weren't the most responsible for the losses.

The Vatican confirmed the pope had accepted the resignations, but refused further comment.