Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube, an outspoken opponent of President Robert Mugabe and the central figure in a recent sex scandal in his country.
Last July, state-owned media in Zimbabwe published poor quality pictures which it said showed the 61-year-old archbishop of Bulawayo in bed with a married woman.
Ncube opposed the re-election of Mugabe in 2005 and after the polls he accused the president of rigging the vote in order to extend his 25-year stretch in power.
He also encouraged Zimbabweans to overthrow Mugabe with a non-violent revolution.
The archbishop presented his resignation citing an article of church law which envisages a priest relinquishing his duties either for reasons of health or of 'opportunity'.
In the past the article has been used in the wake of scandals.
In a one-sentence statement, the Vatican said on Tuesday the pope had accepted the resignation. Without making any comment, it also circulated a statement by Ncube himself.
The prelate said he was the victim of a "deliberate attack by the State, not only against me but also against the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe".
He said he was resigning so that if he is called to face trial he can go to court as "an ordinary person" and not as a leader of the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe.
"I remain a bishop of Zimbabwe and I will continue to speak out on issues I feel are important today," he added.
