Rochester, N.Y. - He doesn't golf and doesn't have any hobbies. But Bishop Matthew Clark loves sports. The Yankees are his baseball team and he looks forward to seeing more games now that he is retiring.
The Bishop leaves with one regret. Not knowing sooner about the sexual abuse of children by priests. He calls it the most painful thing he has ever experienced in his life. The Bishop told us:" The pain of that goes so deep and is so stubborn, it will be years before it is healed."
Bishop Clark says:"I wish I had learned things earlier, it was not in my awareness that this happened." He called the abuse of children: "horrid."
That's why he decided to publish the names of the priests who were involved. He says it helps victims heal and will help others come forward.
It also puts on the record that the abuse happened and that priests were disciplined because of it.
He says the closing of schools and churches was also painful. But the Bishop says if those steps weren't taken, there would have been "chaos" and "disaster" in the diocese.
Bishop Clark has already submitted his letter of resignation to the Pope. He will mail it on July 15th, which is his 75th birthday.
He will spend three weeks vacationing with other bishops before returning to his job. He will remain on the job until a successor is found. It could take up to a year.
