A Catholic archbishop accused of ignoring warnings about two paedophile priests today announced his retirement after offering his resignation to the Pope.
The Most Rev John Aloysius Ward is retiring as Archbishop of Cardiff, after his meeting with Pope John Paul II last week. The Pope has accepted his resignation.
He will be replaced by Bishop Peter Smith of East Anglia, who said he was aware of the "difficulties" faced by his predecessor.
Archbishop Ward said in a statement he was determined not to be forced out of office but was concerned his ill health might return. In December last year he was replaced by the Bishop of Wrexham after suffering deep vein thrombosis.
Archbishop Ward said in his statement today: "Consequently I offered my resignation to Pope John Paul II and I immediately felt at peace".
Archbishop Ward said he felt hurt by members of the Church who had attacked him. He also asked for the forgiveness of anyone he had hurt.
"I have been shocked and deeply hurt by those sections of the media and members of the Catholic Church who did their utmost to attack me when I was struck down by illness. They were and are poor servants of justice and truth".
His successor, who is expected to take office by the beginning of December, said he was confident that Archbishop Ward had dealt with difficulties "as best he can".
The archbishop had faced calls to go amid claims that he ignored colleagues and parishioners who were concerned about two priests in his archdiocese.
Archbishop Ward has insisted he did nothing wrong following accusations that he failed to protect children by employing Fr Joe Jordan and Fr John Lloyd despite warnings about the priests.
He ordained Fr Joe Jordan, in 1998, in the knowledge he had already been tried and acquitted of indecently assaulting a young boy.
Fr John Lloyd, one of the Archbishop's close colleagues, was jailed for eight years in 1998 for paedophile offences.
PA