Church leaders and clergy have been paying tribute to the former Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev Alwyn Rice Jones following his death last week.

Archbishop Rice Jones, 73, died at his home in St Asaph, Denbighshire in what has been described as a "sudden and unexpected" death, even though he had been poorly since his retirement in 1999.

Archbishop Rice Jones held the top post in the Welsh Anglican church for eight years from 1991 to 1999.

The current Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has said that Rev Rice Jones was "warm and engaging", and added that he and the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, had been greatly encouraged by him early in their careers.

According to the BBC, Dr Morgan said: "It was with enormous sadness that I heard of Bishop Alwyn's death. He will be remembered as a deeply pastoral bishop and archbishop. People in parishes always found him warm and engaging.

"He devoted his entire life to the Church in Wales and when Archbishop Rowan and I became bishops at relatively young ages in the early 1990s, he was extremely encouraging of our ministries."

Dr Rowan Williams, the present Archbishop of Canterbury, was Dr Rice Jones' successor as Archbishop of Wales when he took up the post in 2000.

Archbishop Williams said Archbishop Rice Jones had been an inspiration: "Alwyn Rice Jones led the Church in Wales with courage and warmth and vision through some challenging years. I think that all would agree that he was one of the most entirely loveable of church leaders. My own debt to him for his inspiration and encouragement is enormous."

Dr Morgan added: "He was enormously supportive of the ministry of women priests. He had the courage of his convictions and after the first attempt to ordain women to the priesthood had failed he went back to the bishops a second time and ensured it was successful then.

"It was also during his time as Archbishop that the Church in Wales allowed divorcees to remarry in church."

The current Bishop of St Asaph John Stuart Davies said: "I will remember him as a very colourful figure, when he came to St Asaph as bishop, he was a real breath of fresh air. He was a popular figure, very approachable, easy to talk to and quite unstuffy."

He continued: "I don't think formality came to him very easy, he loved to prick balloons of pomposity with an impish sense of fun and a twinkle in his eye."

He testified that Rice Jones's "greatest achievement" was guiding the church "through the very difficult processes to enable women to be ordained as priests".

Bishop Stuart Davies said: "He had a sense that the church was greater than its clergy, greater than its bishops so he wanted to involve every level of church life in any proposals to church growth and mission.

"I think his legacy will be a strengthening of links across the church and with other churches and a confidence in the church and its future."

Archbishop Rice Jones leaves behind his wife Meriel, daughter Nia and two grandchildren.

The funeral is due to be held at St Asaph Cathedral at 1400 BST on Saturday 18 August.