(Removes inaccurate reference to Marx as head of the Catholic Church in Germany. He served as president of Germany's conference of bishops until 2020.)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's influential archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, has offered his resignation to the pope, saying he had to share responsibility for the "catastrophe" of sexual abuse by clerics over past decades.
His offer, which has yet to be accepted by the Pope, comes amid a growing uproar among the German faithful over abuse. Last week, the pope sent two senior foreign bishops to investigate the Archdiocese of Cologne, Germany's largest, over its handling of abuse cases.
"I have to share responsibility for the catastrophe of sexual abuse by officials of the Church over past decades," Marx wrote adding that he hoped his departure would create space for a new beginning.
Marx said in a statement on his archdiocese's website that the pope had instructed him to remain in office until he had decided whether to accept the resignation.
(This story corrects to remove inaccurate reference to Marx as head of the Catholic Church in Germany. He served as president of Germany's conference of bishops until 2020.)
(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Peter Graff)
