VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter
Joshua J. McElwee | Aug. 28, 2015
ROME
The disgraced former papal ambassador who was to be the first to be tried by the Vatican for sexual abuse of minors and for possession of child pornography has died while awaiting trial.
Former archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, who served as the pope’s representative to the Dominican Republic until being accused of sexual misconduct with minors in 2013, was found dead “during the first hours of the morning,” the Vatican said in a statement Friday.
At first inspection, the statement said, the death seemed to be of natural causes. An autopsy is expected to be completed Friday, it said, with the results communicated “as soon as possible.”
Pope Francis “has been duly informed,” the statement concluded.
Wesolowski, a native of Poland, had served in the church diplomatic post since 2008 but was recalled to Rome two years ago after allegations of abusing young boys and possessing child pornography.
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