VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter
Carol Glatz Catholic News Service | Dec. 18, 2015
VATICAN CITY
An autopsy revealed the ex-papal nuncio, who was awaiting a Vatican trial on charges including the sexual abuse of minors, died of a heart attack, the Vatican said.
The laicized former archbishop, Jozef Wesolowski, died of natural causes, specifically, “acute myocardial infarction,” and “other external factors” were ruled out, the Vatican said in a communique Dec. 18.
Vatican magistrates had postponed a criminal trial against the former nuncio in July due to the defendant’s ill health. The proceedings had been adjourned until an unspecified future date because the defendant had been sent to an intensive care unit in a public hospital in Rome after experiencing a “sudden illness” the afternoon of July 10 — the day before he was scheduled to appear at the trial’s opening session.
The 67-year-old Polish national, who also had Vatican City State citizenship, died in a Vatican residence Aug. 27.
While initial autopsy results released in August said he died of a “cardiac incident,” the Vatican City’s promoter of justice appointed a forensics team to conduct an investigation that followed internationally recognized protocols, the Vatican communique said.
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