"Following the presentation of their resignations to Pope Benedict, it has been decided that Bishop Eamonn Walsh and Bishop Raymond Field will remain as auxiliary bishops," he said.

Martin said the two men are "to be assigned revised responsibilities within the diocese."

Both bishops initially resisted calls for their resignation. However, both sent resignation letters to Rome after Martin apparently failed to give them his total support. When asked in December 2009 whether he had confidence in his auxiliaries, Martin said he had confidence "in their ministry," but did not go further. Within 24 hours, both auxiliaries announced they had sent their letters of resignation to Rome.

Field and Walsh were among four Irish bishops who offered their resignation after a judicial report found that there had been a culture of cover-up of child sexual abuse in Dublin over several decades.

Earlier, Pope Benedict accepted the resignations of Bishops Donal Murray of Limerick and James Moriarty of Kildare and Leighlin. Murray's failure to properly investigate an allegation of sexual abuse was described in the judicial report as inexcusable. Moriarty said he resigned because he had failed to challenge the prevailing culture within the Church.

Andrew Madden, who was abused as an altar boy in Dublin, said he was "disappointed" by the Pope's decision not to accept the' resignations. However, he said, "I am not surprised; I have long since given up hope of the Catholic Church getting its act together when it comes to child protection.

"The Catholic Church, right from the Vatican down, has refused to fully acknowledge this problem," Madden said.