Belgrade - Ailing Patriarch Pavle is to remain the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) as long as he lives, despite his plea to be relieved, the Beta news agency reported Tuesday.

Serbian bishops made the decision in a marathon debate at their conference, the Sabor, holding its regular autumn session. The marathon debate continued into the late evening without a statement announcing a decision.

The oldest and most influential among the 46 SPC bishops, Amfilohije, would assume a part of the patriarch's duties until the next scheduled meeting of the Sabor in May, the Beta report said.

The patriarch, who turned 94 in September, is stable but too frail to leave his hospital room. He was admitted to the Belgrade military hospital a year ago and recently requested that he be relieved of his duties.

The SPC statute, however, states that the patriarch is elected to the throne for life, though exceptions are allowed.

Pavle took over in 1990, on the eve of the violent disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. Under his reign, the SPC rose from the margins, where it had been during decades of the Socialism, to become one of the most influential factors in Serbian politics.

While locally described as a "walking saint," Pavle has faced criticism over the SPC's sometimes inflammatory role in Yugoslav conflicts, and its refusal to distance itself from atrocities committed during the wars. (dpa)