Roman Catholic cardinal arrested for DUI on the Big Island

U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada was stopped after police saw him swerving on the highway.

A high-ranking member of the Roman Catholic Church was arrested last week on suspicion of drunken driving while on vacation in Hawaii.

According to Michael Brown, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Levada was vacationing in Hawaii with some of his priest friends at the time of the incident.

The arrest occurred on Hina Lani Street in Kailua-Kona after an officer observed him swerving while traveling north on Queen Kaahumanu Highway north of Kealakehe Parkway.

Major Mitchell Kanehailua of the Hawaii Police Department told The Daily News on Wednesday that Levada was driving alone, adding he had never heard of a top clergyman being arrested before on Hawaii’s roadways.

In a press release issued by means of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the 79-year-old Levada stated he regrets his error in judgment and intends to cooperate with authorities. Levada, who was archbishop of San Francisco from 1995 to 2005, was charged with driving under the influence and released from custody after posting $500 bail, the Tribune-Herald reported. He has a court date of September 24 and is required to appear.

Levada is one of only 219 cardinals worldwide and was part of the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013, according to the Huffington Post.

The 79-year-old, from California, was the highest ranking American Cardinal under Pope Benedict the 16th, and retired in 2012.