From humble beginnings in southwest Mexico, Gabino Zavala entered the priesthood and embarked on a remarkable journey that landed him squarely in the corner offices of the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese.An auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, he oversaw the church's vast San Gabriel region, a diverse community considered vital to the future of the church. Then, from his pulpit, he became a forceful champion for social and economic justice.Bishop resigns: An article in the Jan. 5 Section A about the resignation of Gabino Zavala, an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who fathered two children, said a parishioner was "relieved to learn that the Vatican had confronted and dealt with Zavala's transgressions." Zavala submitted his resignation at the time he informed the Vatican of the children. —Popular and approachable, Zavala was widely known by his first name. To many, that sensibility made the Vatican's announcement on Wednesday unthinkable: For more than a decade, Zavala had harbored a dark secret. He is the father, church officials said, of two children, and had resigned his post.Zavala's fatherhood, a violation of canon laws of celibacy for priests, was the first controversy to rock the local church during the tenure of Archbishop Jose Gomez , who succeeded Roger Mahony last year. Gomez responded with a blunt letter to his flock on Wednesday announcing the resignation, which elicited shock, despair and, among some, a palpable sense of betrayal."He is the father of two minor teenage children, who live with their mother in another state," the letter said. "Let us pray for all those impacted by this situation and for each other."The Vatican did not immediately name Zavala's successor. Gomez declined to be interviewed, and the church declined to disclose further details. Asked whether Zavala was involved in the children's lives, and why the information suddenly surfaced after so many years, archdiocese spokesman Tod M. Tamberg said: "Those are questions for Bishop Zavala to answer."Zavala, who is no longer in ministry but remains a priest and bishop, could not be reached for comment. The voice mail on his cellphone was full and no one answered the door of his home in the Hacienda Heights foothills.Tamberg noted that the church, which learned of the situation in December but had to wait for the Vatican to announce the resignation, had investigated the finances of Zavala's office and confirmed that there was no misuse of church money to support the children. Zavala, despite his prominence, earns a relatively modest priest's salary, and the archdiocese has offered financial support to help pay for the children's college.Zavala's resignation is likely to spark renewed debate over the ecclesiastical laws of celibacy. The earliest popes — St. Peter himself, under some interpretations — were married men and fathers. Later, in the fourth century, church officials concluded that men who were not celibate "shall be deprived of the honor of the clerical life."The idea was to mimic the sacrificing, chaste life of Jesus — for priests to be married, in a sense, to the church. But in recent years, hundreds of theologians have argued that the rules are dated and needlessly restrictive."It's self-evident — celibacy does not work," said Father Richard McBrien, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. Younger priests influenced by conservative Vatican administrators in recent years "think celibacy is the crown jewel of the priesthood," he said. "That's nonsense."A.W. Richard Sipe, a former Benedictine priest and retired psychotherapist in La Jolla, said there was "no question" the Zavala's case raises questions about celibacy standards, and he said he hoped it would spark an overdue review. "I want it discussed openly and honestly," he said.Zavala, 60, was raised in Los Angeles and ordained in 1977, and had overseen the San Gabriel region since 1994. One of the archdiocese's five pastoral regions, San Gabriel is home to 66 parishes, 13 high schools and hundreds of thousands of the area's five million Catholics.Zavala's work resonated far beyond Southern California. He served as the president of Pax Christi USA, an influential group that lobbies against war and violence, was a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and led efforts to foster cultural and ethnic diversity in the church, especially among fellow Latinos. He argued passionately for an end to capital punishment and, like many priests, for immigration reform and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.But he stepped deeper into the arena of social justice than many of his peers — resigning from a national gay and lesbian ministries association, for instance, after the Vatican tightened controls over how the church reaches out to homosexuals. And amid grumbling from some corners that the church has remained silent as initiatives have been launched across the nation to limit or eliminate labor unions, Zavala struck out on his own, decrying those efforts as "a moral failure that undermines values at the heart of our democracy.""The sad reality," he wrote in one missive, "is that many of the same CEOs who eviscerate workers' rights have awarded themselves generous bonuses. Elected officials who rely on political contributions from corporate lobbyists take away basic rights for workers even as they lavish the wealthiest Americans with tax breaks."Javier Stauring, co-director of the archdiocese's Office of Restorative Justice, which assists people who are incarcerated, victims of crime and relatives of both, has worked alongside Zavala for 20 years. Most years, Zavala performed Christmas and Easter masses at juvenile detention halls. ||||| Image caption Bishop Zavala was known for his work with California's Hispanic community 
 
 A Catholic bishop who fathered two children has stepped down. 
 
 Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Gabino Zavala, an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, the Vatican said. 
 
 The Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, wrote in a letter to worshippers that Bishop Zavala told him in December that he was the father of two teenage children. 
 
 The children, who are minors, live with their mother in another state. 
 
 Archbishop Gomez said that the archdiocese was offering the family "spiritual care," as well as funding to help the children with college costs. 
 
 In his letter he described the news as "sad and difficult" and said Bishop Zavala had been living privately and not participating in ministry since resigning. 
 
 Bishop Zavala is 60 and was born in Mexico. He has campaigned against the death penalty and for immigrants' rights. 
 
 The Vatican did not spell out the reason for Bishop Zavala's resignation in its statement, but made reference to canon law which allows bishops to step down before normal retirement age if they are ill or unfit for office for some other reason. 
 
 The Pope has shown no sign of relaxing the Roman Catholic Church's rule on priestly celibacy, which has been in place since the 11th Century. 
 
 Image caption The Pope has made clear that he has no plans to change the rule of priestly celibacy 
 
 In March 2010 he described celibacy as "the sign of full devotion, the entire commitment to the Lord and to the 'Lord's business', an expression of giving oneself to God and to others". 
 
 Priests are not allowed to marry but married Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism are exempted from the celibacy rule. 
 
 Two days ago Pope Benedict appointed an American married priest to head the first US structure for Anglicans converting to Roman Catholicism.
– A Los Angeles bishop has resigned after he revealed to his superiors that he has a secret family. Mexican-born Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala, 60, is the father of two teenage children who live with their mother in another state, reports the BBC. LA Archbishop Jose Gomez said the archdiocese is offering the family "spiritual care," as well as funding to help with college costs. He called the situation "sad and difficult." Zavala's resignation has been accepted by the Vatican. The popular, influential bishop has been known as a champion of immigration rights and social and economic justice. "He is a wonderful advocate for the marginalized communities—the outcasts," a co-worker told the Los Angeles Times. "It was his understanding of God and our faith—that there is a preferential love for those who are suffering and those who are going through difficult times." His resignation is bound to re-ignite a debate over celibacy for Catholic clerics. "It's self-evident—celibacy does not work," said Father Richard McBrien, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.