HARARE - Zimbabwean Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, an outspoken critic of President Robert Mugabe, resigned on Tuesday, two months after being sued for adultery in a case which he called a vicious government-backed attack.
The 60-year-old cleric, head of the southern Bulawayo archdiocese since 1997, said in a statement he was resigning to protect the Church but would defend himself against the adultery charges in court.
"I wrote to the Pope within days of what was obviously a state-driven, vicious attack not just on myself but by proxy on the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe," Ncube said.
The Vatican said in a one-sentence statement that Pope Benedict had accepted Ncube's resignation under an article of Church law which covers clergy who can no longer perform their duties for health reasons. It has also sometimes been used in cases of clerics who brought their office into disrepute.
In July, Zimbabwe's state-run media published what it said were photos of Ncube in bed with a woman under the headlines "Pius Ncube Shamed" and "Pius in Sex Scandal."
Ncube's supporters said the report was part of a government smear campaign prompted by the archbishop's anti-Mugabe stance.
The cleric has accused Mugabe and his government of human rights abuses and suppressing political dissent.
"In order to spare my fellow bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks, I decided this (resignation) was the best course of action," Ncube said.
He added that he would face his accusers in court as an individual.
In his statement, Ncube vowed he would remain vocal against Mugabe and hinted he might go into politics.
SMEAR CAMPAIGN
Ncube said although many would be bitterly disappointed that he had resigned, a few would be delighted by what they would see as an accomplished mission.
"(But) I have not been silenced by the crude machinations of a wicked regime. I am committed to promoting the social teachings of the Church," he said.
"I will use my experiences working among the people to lobby for greater humanitarian support, in particular food and medical supplies at this time of extreme national crisis," he added.
"I will continue to speak out on the issues that sadly become more acute by the day."
Zimbabwe is mired in a deep economic and political crisis.
Ncube, who has been taunted by Mugabe to leave the church and join politics, said he would decide on his future in the next few weeks.
"I have various options available at the moment and will decide ... which will provide the best platform to continue with God's work," he said.
Information and Publicity Deputy Minister Bright Matonga said Ncube's resignation was confirmation he committed a crime.
"It's a realisation of the crimes that he has committed but we hope the good Lord will take care of him ... he has accepted his sins so we wish him the best in his new endeavours," Matonga told Reuters.
Two weeks ago the official Herald newspaper urged Ncube to quit, accusing him and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference of trying to incite civil strife in the country.
"Blinded by their hatred of the government, the bishops continue to curse this country by preaching what they hope to be pressure points that will bring about turmoil and ethnic clashes similar to Rwanda," it said in an editorial.
