Jozef Wesolowski, former archbishop and Vatican envoy to the Dominican Republic, died before being tried for the crime of sexual abuse of children.
Wesolowski, 66, was found dead in his room at the Vatican on Friday. He had shown health problems before the start of his trial in July.
He is accused of sexually abused children in the Dominican Republic, in the period 2008-2013. He was the first senior official of the church accused of pedophilia.
Wesolowski also charged with possession of juvenile pornography, dating back to his return to Rome in 2013. That year, 66-year-old was called to return to the Vatican after the allegations made against him. He had spent 5 years in the Caribbean country as envoy of the Pope and in return was stripped of his title after being found guilty by a religious court.
Wesolowski, originally from Poland, was under house arrest at the Vatican since September. The Holy See said then that it was not sent in a police cell because of health conditions.