Top Chinese Monk Resigns Following Sexual Misconduct Claims

One of China’s highest-ranking monks has resigned after fellow monks accused him of demanding sexual favors from nuns in his monastery. The Buddhist Association of China announced the news Wednesday in a periodic report but made no mention of the allegations against the monk, Shi Xuecheng, who had served as the organization’s president. Shi, who also serves as a political adviser to the central government, was accused by fellow monks at Beijing’s Longquan Temple of embezzling funds and sexually harassing numerous nuns. The allegations, which included at least one sexual assault accusation, were submitted to Chinese authorities in July. Shi has denied all the allegations but has not yet commented on his resignation.