A Polish archbishop accused of molesting young priests resigned this morning in the worst sex scandal to hit the Roman Catholic Church in Poland.
Archbishop Juliusz Paetz (67) told clerics in his Poznan diocese in western Poland he was leaving his post to protect the "unity and stability" of the church, Poland's official Catholic news agency, KAI, said.
"Not everyone understood my genuine openness and spontaneity toward people," Paetz, who denies sexual abuse charges, told the congregation at his farewell mass. "There was a misinterpretation of my words and gestures".
The Vatican confirmed Pope John Paul II had accepted the resignation of Paetz, who worked closely with him from 1978-1982 in organising the Pontiff's travels. The Pope has not commented on the scandal in his native land.
A newspaper report last month saying Paetz forced trainee priests and young clerics into homosexual acts created the biggest storm yet over the behavior of churchmen in Poland, where the Catholic hierarchy still has enormous influence.
"This should clear the air within the Catholic Church in Poland. The Pope treated this situation very seriously, as you can see from how quickly he acted to bring it to an end," KAI said.