Belgian priest arrested after deadly night of sex and drugs with British cleric

A British cleric died after a night of sex and drugs with a Belgian priest who has since been arrested on drug charges, Belgian authorities said Saturday.

The 69-year-old, whose name was not given, was spending the evening with his 60-year-old counterpart at a clergy's house in Kalmthout, north of Antwerp, on Thursday when he became unwell, prosecutors said.

Shortly after midnight, the Belgian priest called emergency services, who were unable to revive his companion.

“Apparently the two men had consumed ecstasy and poppers together and had sex. Two ecstasy pills were also found,” the public prosecutor’s office said.

The investigation is still ongoing and an autopsy cannot initially provide any conclusive information on the exact cause of death, it said. The 60-year-old priest was questioned by the investigating judge and arrested.

He is accused of drug trafficking resulting in death.

Pope Francis was in Belgium on Saturday and met with 17 survivors of clerical sexual abuse who suffered from trauma at the meeting said the church would offer “all the assistance we can” to help victims.