The recently elected head of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) announced her immediate resignation on Wednesday after being apprehended over the weekend for an alleged drunk-driving offense.

Bishop Margot Kaessmann was caught on Saturday driving with a blood alcohol level three times over the legal limit after Hanover police pulled her over for running a red right.

"I cannot ignore the fact that my office and my authority ... have been damaged," Kaessmann said, admitting that she had made a "big mistake."

"My heart says quite clearly that I cannot remain in office with the authority that is required," she added, according to Reuters.

Kaessmann, 51, made headlines last October as the first woman to be elected to the EKD's top position, winning in a landslide victory over her opponent.

Previously serving as bishop of Hanover, the largest regional body in the German Church, she had planned to implement a radical course of reform for the EKD, which has suffered from declining membership.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), expressed "great sadness" at the news of Kaessmann's resignation.

"Bishop Kaessmann is a gifted theologian, an outstanding global religious leader, a prophetic voice for justice and peace, and colleague. I have communicated to her my gratitude for her leadership and my commitment to holding her, her family and church in prayer," Hanson wrote.

"Bishop Kaessmann's resignation is a great loss for the Lutheran World Federation and the EKD. We will continue to pray that God will give her strength and opportunities for continued witness and service," he added.

Kaessmann has said that while she will resign from her post as bishop, she will continue her work as a pastor.