Ex-Vatican diplomat, facing landmark trial for sex abuse, found dead in Vatican City

Defrocked ex-Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski found dead at the Vatican — (Image credit: Erika Santelices/AFP/Getty Images)

The Vatican said that Jozef Wesolowski, a defrocked former archbishop and Holy See ambassador to the Dominican Republic, was found dead in his room at the Vatican early Friday. Wesolowski, born in Poland, had been scheduled to stand trial last month at a Vatican court to face sex abuse and child pornography charges related to his time in the Dominican Republic. The trial — the first Vatican civil trial for sex abuse — was postponed after Wesolowski fell ill.

Wesolowski's death appears to be from natural causes, the Vatican said, but the church prosecutor has ordered an autopsy for later today.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.