Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the Bishop of the Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta, Rafael Zornoza, after serious accusations of harassment and sexual abuse against a minor allegedly committed while he served as a trainer at the Getafe seminary came to light. The decision, as learned by the Argentine News Agency (NA), was published in the Vatican's official bulletin without detailing the formal reasons, though it became known just days after the case went public. Pending a definitive appointment, the Vatican named the Auxiliary Bishop of Seville, Monsignor Ramón Valdivia, as apostolic administrator, who will temporarily take the reins of the diocese. Zornoza, who had already submitted his resignation fifteen months ago upon turning 75, thus became the first Spanish bishop to be criminally charged for acts of this nature. The investigation being handled by Rome points to alleged continued abuse of a minor between 1994 and the early 2000s, a complaint that the Holy See had known about for four months. Rafael Zornoza. Luis Argüello, president of the Episcopal Conference, acknowledged with “pain” that the opening of a Vatican investigation “gives credibility to the accusation,” although he insisted on maintaining the presumption of innocence. The pontiff himself, when consulted by the press, stated that the investigation must run its course and that, once concluded, “the consequences will be determined.” The emeritus bishop, for his part, defended his innocence and decided to suspend his public schedule, also stating that he is undergoing treatment for an aggressive cancer that was not previously known. Sources close to the matter indicated that he will remain apart as the process in Rome advances. The reaction of the Spanish ecclesiastical hierarchy was not long in coming.
