Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of a German bishop accused of hitting children, the Vatican said.
Bishop Walter Mixa of Augsburg had told the Pope in his resignation letter last month that his diocese needed a "new start".
The bishop had at first denied hitting children at a Catholic orphanage in the 1970s and 1980s before saying he may have slapped them, and apologising.
He has not been accused of any sexual abuse.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.