Britain's most senior Roman Catholic priest has stepped down from his leadership role in the Scottish church amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by fellow priests.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien also announced on Monday that he would not take part in the conclave to elect the next pope because of concerns about media attention.
The cardinal has contested the accusations from three serving and one former priest, reported by the Observer newspaper at the weekend, that he had committed "inappropriate acts" dating back to the 1980s.
A spokesperson for the Catholic church in Scotland said the timing of the cardinal's departure from the office of Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh had not been influenced by the allegations against him.
Cardinal O'Brien will reach the episcopal retirement age of 75 next month and had tendered his resignation in November. "The Holy Father has now decided that my resignation will take effect today," he said in a statement.
In the statement, Cardinal O'Brien did not directly refer to the accusations against him, but asked for God's blessing on fellow cardinals who will choose a new figure to lead the Catholic church after Pope Benedict XVI steps down on February 28.
"I will not join them for this conclave in person. I do not wish media attention in Rome to be focused on me," said Cardinal O'Brien. His decision means there will now be no participant from Britain in the election for Pope Benedict's successor.
The accusations against Cardinal O'Brien are the latest in a series of unsavoury claims that threaten to damage the reputation of the Catholic church and damp the mood among the faithful ahead of the papal conclave.
The Scottish Catholic Church said at the weekend that the cardinal contested the allegations and was taking legal advice, but has not commented further.
In Monday's statement, the cardinal said he had valued the opportunity to serve as a priest in Scotland and overseas. "For any good I have been able to do, I thank God. For any failures, I apologise to all whom I have offended," he said.
Cardinal O'Brien stepped back from some of his responsibilities last year in the run-up to his retirement. He had been an outspoken opponent of same-sex relationships, opposing Scottish government proposals to legalise same-sex marriage.
Stonewall, the gay rights charity, last year named him its "Bigot of the Year", sparking complaints from the Catholic church.
In an interview with the BBC last week, Cardinal O'Brien said priests should be allowed to marry and have a family, as many struggled with celibacy.
Additional reporting by Giulia Segreti in Rome
