ANGLICAN breakaway archbishop John Hepworth, who alleges he was raped by a Catholic priest nearly 40 years ago, has resigned as the global head of the Traditional Anglican Communion.
Mr Hepworth said "considerable dissension" among members of his breakaway church had forced him to write to all archbishops and bishops to announce he would stand down as primate at Pentecost in May.
"There has been considerable dissension in our midst in the past year," he said. "Profound doctrinal and moral differences have grown between us. It is my intention, provided the membership of our college is substantially clarified in the next few months, to tender my resignation as primate at Pentecost."
But a vote last week in the TAC House of Bishops called for his immediate removal from office, with two-thirds of all eligible voters asking for his immediate resignation, according to Anglican website Virtue Online.
Mr Hepworth's adviser, Cheryl Woodman, said yesterday the vote had not been sanctioned by the church.
"This is an illegitimate act and seems to be some sort of plot by people seeking power for themselves," Ms Woodman said. "They have included people who are not members of the college and have not informed the secretariat."
She said she would write to the College of Bishops this week to seek clarification on the vote.
Mr Hepworth took his allegations of clerical rape to South Australian police last month after a church investigation found "no substance" to allegations he had made against Adelaide priest Ian Dempsey, who has vigorously denied the allegations.
Mr Hepworth said his decision to resign followed the acceptance by Rome of the Anglicanorum Coetibus, a declaration by the Pope that will allow the TAC to be included as an ordinariate of the Catholic Church.
"I have achieved what I was requested to do by those who elected me, and the proclamation of Anglicanorum Coetibus remains for me a cherished moment," he said.