Bishop confesses: I was a communist spy

Yesterday, he was still denying the allegation. Today, Stanislaw Wielgush, who's due to be formally sworn in as Catholic Archbishop of Warsaw at mass tomorrow, came clean. Catholic authorities are now satisfied that sufficient documents have been uncovered confirming that the new archbishop, who took up office before Christmas, was a spy for the Polish secret police, and that he informed on his clerical colleagues and others. Historians estimate that some 10-15 per cent of Polish Catholic priests collaborated with the Communist authorities in the 1970s and beyond.

Archbishop Wielgush is now under significant pressure to stand down, possibly even before tomorrow's ceremony. It's even unlikely that the Polish president or prime minister will now attend that ceremony if it goes ahead.

UPDATE: Sunday, 7 Jan, 9.45 a.m. Archbishop resigns, 30 minutes before installation mass.