The Bishop of Cadiz and Ceuta is under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of a minor dating back to the 1990s, it has emerged.
The revelations, first reported by El Pais, spread rapidly on Monday morning through parish WhatsApp groups and email chains, forcing the Diocese of Cadiz to issue a statement confirming that a formal complaint had been lodged.
According to El Pais, the allegations relate to the period when Rafael Zornoza served as rector of the Seminary of Getafe, before later becoming auxiliary bishop there and eventually being appointed to Cadiz in 2011.
The complainant, described as a former parishioner from that era, alleges that he suffered continuous abuse while attending the Getafe seminary as a teenager.
The claims include detailed accounts of the alleged assaults and alleged attempts by Zornoza to silence him afterwards.
The Diocese of Cadiz and Ceuta confirmed early Monday that the case is now in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Rota of the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain, where it has been under review since last week.
In its statement, the diocese described the accusations as ‘very serious and also false,’ while expressing its ‘full confidence in Bishop Zornoza.’
It added that the events allegedly occurred ‘nearly 30 years ago,’ beginning around 1994, and stressed that the Church will cooperate fully with authorities while upholding the presumption of innocence.
‘We place full trust in justice and will collaborate with it as required,’ the statement said.
‘At the same time, it is necessary to remember the respect owed to the presumption of innocence that protects every person.’
In light of the investigation, the diocese announced that Bishop Zornoza will temporarily suspend his public agenda ‘to allow for the clarification of the facts.’
He had been scheduled to lead a mass at the Salesian school in Cadiz on Monday evening to mark the canonisation of Sor María Troncatti.
The statement also disclosed that Zornoza is currently receiving treatment for an aggressive form of cancer, a condition that has also contributed to his decision to step back from public activity.
The case now sits with the Church’s judicial authorities in Madrid.
