Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, is stepping down as the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, the BBC has learned.
It follows allegations – which he contests – of inappropriate behaviour towards priests dating from the 1980s.
The Scottish Catholic Church says Pope Benedict has accepted his resignation.
The cardinal is not now expected to take part in the election for a successor to the Pope – leaving Britain unrepresented in the election.
Cardinal O’Brien said in a statement he had already tendered his resignation, due to take effect when he turned 75 next month, but that Pope Benedict “has now decided that my resignation will take effect today”.
He said the pontiff would appoint an apostolic administrator to govern the archdiocese in his place until his successor is appointed.
The resignation of Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the wake of allegations of improper behaviour creates a crisis for the Church in Scotland, and represents a heavy blow to the wider Church as it battles to shore up its reputation ahead of the papal election or “conclave”.
The conclave is already expected to be difficult in the circumstances created by Pope Benedict’s unprecedented resignation.
The Vatican is also struggling to deal with reports of internal corruption and mismanagement.
Cardinal O’Brien’s resignation is also a personal tragedy for himself.
Allegations made
His role as Britain’s only representative in the papal election next month would have been one of his last acts before he retired.
He said in a BBC interview on Friday that he found the responsibility of helping to choose a successor to Pope Benedict “almost frightening”.
The Observer reported that the three priests and one former priest – from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh – complained to the Pope’s representative to Britain, nuncio Antonio Mennini, in the week before 11 February, when Pope Benedict announced his resignation, of what they claimed was the cardinal’s inappropriate behaviour towards them in the 1980s.
The former priest claims Cardinal O’Brien made an inappropriate approach to him in 1980, after night prayers, when he was a seminarian at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange.
The complainant says he resigned as a priest when Cardinal O’Brien was first made a bishop.
He reportedly says in his statement: “I knew then he would always have power over me. It was assumed I left the priesthood to get married. I did not. I left to preserve my integrity.”
A second statement from another complainant says he was living in a parish when he was visited by O’Brien, and inappropriate contact took place between them.
A third complainant alleges dealing with what he describes as “unwanted behaviour” by the cardinal in the 1980s after some late-night drinking.
And the fourth complainant claims the cardinal used night prayers as an excuse for inappropriate contact.
Cardinal O’Brien missed celebrating Sunday Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, which marked Pope Benedict’s eight years in office, ahead of the pontiff stepping down this week.
Outspoken views
In resigning his post at the head of the Scottish Catholic Church, Cardinal O’Brien blights the end of an illustrious career only a few weeks before he was due to retire.
The development is understood to have been prompted by a concern to protect the Church from further destabilizing speculation during the papal election.
That process is already overshadowed by allegations against a number of the cardinals who are taking part, over their connection with their handling of the Church’s sex abuse scandal.
Cardinal O’Brien will be remembered in particular as a forthright defender – occasionally in outspoken and colourful terms – of Catholic teaching on abortion, euthanasia and homosexuality.
Last week Cardinal O’Brien said he believed priests should be able to marry if they wished to do so.
He said the new Pope could consider whether the Roman Catholic Church should change its stance on some issues, not of divine origin.
“For example the celibacy of the clergy, whether priests should marry – Jesus didn’t say that,” he said.
The cardinal was named Bigot of the Year last year by gay rights charity Stonewall for his stance on gay marriage.