The foul-mouth Catholic dean of St Patrick's Cathedral of Melbourne, Monsignor Geoff Baron, has 'spontaneously offered' his resignation which was accepted by the Melbourne Catholic Archbishop, Denis Hart.
A spokesman for the Melbourne Catholic Archdiocese confirmed this account, telling Cathnews, a local Catholic publication that: "Monsignor Baron freely and spontaneously offered his resignation as Dean of St Patrick's and parish administrator of St John's parish, East Melbourne."
Monsignor Baron was made infamous through a You-Tube video, a website where users submit video clips, showing him swearing and making racist remarks at a group of teenage skateboarders.
Though the clip was filmed last year, the consequences of his action unfolded this year, where he went on the radio to apologise for his remarks.
"The shame that I feel and the embarrassment, I can't really describe," he told Southern Cross Broadcasting. "It was outrageous behaviour, I let myself down terribly badly, that's quite clear and I've also brought scandal and shock to other people."
Monsignor Baron will now take a period of rest and refreshment for the remainder of 2007.
