Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the archbishop of Santiago and the highest-ranking member of the Catholic Church in Chile, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, who is part of the sex abuse scandal, Reuters reported.

It was announced in a Vatican statement that Bishop Celestino Aós Braco of the Chilean city of Copiapó will run the Santiago archdiocese until a new archbishop is named.

In particular, 77-year-old Ezzati is accused of a number of crimes, including some relating to the case of a former top aide to the Santiago Archbishop Oscar Munoz, who is facing trial on charges he abused and raped at least five children.

However, he denies wrongdoing.