VATICAN CITY- Former Polish Archbishop Monsignor Józef Wesolowski, previously accused of paedophilia, was found dead in his residence in the Vatican on Friday sources say. Wesolowski was awaiting trial for a number of charges for abuse which took allegedly place in his residence in the Dominican Republic.

 Vatican sources say that the former Vatican nuncio died from a heart attack, and cite “natural causes.” The Justice Promoter of the city state ordered an autopsy on Friday, the results of which will be released as soon as possible. Pope Francis has been informed of the former archbishop’s death.

 Wesolowski was the first bishop and former ambassador of the pontiff to have been defrocked by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for alleged paedophilia in 2014, which removed his status as a member of the clergy.

 Last year Wesolowski was suspended whilst a case was being prepared for a trial in the Vatican. The first hearing was set to be held last month but was postponed since the accused was absent.  The day before the trial opening Wesolowski was recovering in a health clinic following a “serious drop in blood pressure.” Many speculated about a suicide attempt, but this was never confirmed.

 The paedophilia case had also been under the scrutiny of the UN committee against torture, who wrote a damning final report on the Vatican’s approach to the scandal.

 The Geneva-based committee deemed the procedures taken by the Vatican as inadequate, with the recommendation that, “he will have to be extradited to Puerto Rico or he will have to be tried in the Vatican, as he must not have impunity” due to his diplomatic status. In response, the pope called the archbishop back to Rome for a trial within less than a year, displaying his “zero tolerance” policy on the case, and he was living under house arrest in the tiny city state.

 The pontiff has drawn a hard line on child abuse by the priesthood, calling it “a horrendous, disgusting act” and said that “any priest who does this betrays the Body of Christ, as that priest’s duty is to bring this child on the path of holiness, but instead he abuses them… and leaves them with an issue that will last all their life.”