BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A Romanian Orthodox bishop who was the first senior cleric to acknowledge collaborating with the feared Securitate communist secret police has died. He was 90.

Nicolae Corneanu, the bishop of Banat, who irritated Romanian Orthodox Church leaders with his non-traditional views, died Sunday at his residence, church spokesman Lucian Florea said. Bells rang out at Orthodox and Catholic churches Sunday night upon news of his death.