Vatican City, July 11 (IANS): The trial of a former archbishop charged with child sex offences was adjourned on Saturday after the defendant fell ill hours before he was due to appear in court at the Vatican.

Jozef Wesolowski, 66, is accused of paying for sex with children in the Dominican Republic from 2008-2013.

He is being treated in intensive care for an unspecified illness, BBC reported.

Wesolowski is the first high-ranking Catholic priest to stand trial in the Vatican on sex abuse charges.

He has already been found guilty by a special church tribunal and defrocked.

His case is seen as a test of Pope Francis's push to tackle sex offenders.

Wesolowski, who is originally from Poland, had been recalled from his role as the Vatican's envoy to the Dominican Republic in 2013 after allegations surfaced accusing him of abusing boys there.

He is also charged with possession of child pornography.

If convicted, he could face between six and 10 years in a Vatican jail.