ROME (BN24) — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of 76-year-old Cádiz Bishop Rafael Zornoza, marking the first known time that the pontiff has removed a bishop accused of sexual abuse. The resignation, which had been submitted by Zornoza in 2022 when he turned 75, the typical retirement age for bishops, was delayed until this month, following revelations that the bishop was under investigation by a church tribunal for alleged sexual abuse dating back to the 1990s.
A brief statement from the Vatican on Saturday confirmed the acceptance of Zornoza’s resignation but did not specify the reasons behind the decision. The timing follows a report in the Spanish daily El País, which highlighted the investigation into Zornoza, accusing him of abusing a former seminarian during his time as a young priest and director of the diocesan seminary in Getafe. The allegations, which stem from incidents that allegedly took place when the seminarian was between the ages of 14 and 21, include accusations of sexual abuse and manipulation.
The former seminarian, who has remained anonymous, wrote to the Vatican earlier this year, describing how Zornoza allegedly fondled him and regularly slept with him during his youth. According to the letter, Zornoza also attempted to manipulate the seminarian’s psychological well-being, pressuring him to seek psychiatric help to “cure” his homosexuality. These revelations prompted the Vatican’s intervention and the opening of an investigation by the church’s tribunal, the Rota, in Madrid.
In response, the Diocese of Cádiz denied the allegations but confirmed that an investigation was underway. A statement from the diocese on November 10 confirmed that Zornoza was cooperating with the investigation, noting that he had temporarily suspended his official duties to focus on his health, as he is reportedly undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of cancer.
“The accusations made, referring to events that took place almost 30 years ago, are very serious and also false,” the diocese statement said. Zornoza himself has not publicly addressed the specific charges but has made clear his intention to clear his name.
The case is particularly significant as it represents the first publicly known instance of a bishop being retired and placed under investigation for allegations of abuse, particularly amid Spain’s growing reckoning with decades of sexual abuse and cover-up within the Catholic Church. While the Spanish church has faced years of criticism, the resignation of a high-ranking official like Zornoza marks a critical moment in the institution’s efforts to address these long-standing issues.
In recent years, Spain has seen an increasing number of abuse cases come to light, with the country’s first official investigation, launched in 2023, revealing that the number of victims could potentially number in the hundreds of thousands. The investigation, conducted by Spain’s ombudsman, documented 487 cases of alleged abuse, with many of the victims recounting their experiences in the church’s care. In response to these findings, Spain’s bishops issued a public apology. Still, the church hierarchy rejected parts of the report, calling some conclusions “false” and arguing that many victims had been abused outside of the church.
The Catholic Church in Spain has since undertaken its own internal review, with a 2024 report confirming that at least 728 church officials had been identified as abusers since 1945. This prompted the Spanish bishops’ conference to announce plans to compensate victims, following the approval of a government initiative that would require the church to pay economic reparations to survivors.
Zornoza’s resignation is the latest in a series of developments that have underscored the Catholic Church’s ongoing struggle to confront its past and build trust with victims of sexual abuse. As the church faces mounting scrutiny and criticism, Pope Leo XIV’s acceptance of Zornoza’s resignation could be seen as a symbolic step toward greater accountability within the institution. However, the investigation into the allegations against Zornoza and similar cases remains ongoing, as the church grapples with its troubled history.
