Vatican opens first-ever sexual abuse probe into a Spanish bishop

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - The Vatican has opened an investigation into Rafael Zornoza Boy, bishop of Cadiz and Ceuta, over allegations that he repeatedly sexually abused a minor in the 1990s, Spanish daily El Pais reported on Monday.

The case marks the first time a sitting bishop – one of the highest-ranking figures in the Catholic Church, responsible for overseeing a given region – has been openly investigated in Spain for alleged child sexual abuse.

In a statement sent to Spanish media, the bishop called the accusations “very serious and also false,” saying he would temporarily suspend his public duties to “clarify events” and focus on cancer treatments he is currently undergoing.

The complaint against the bishop was filed this summer by a man who says Zornoza, now 76, abused him from the age of 14 to 21, in Getafe, near Madrid.

In a letter obtained by the newspaper, the alleged victim describes years of sexual and emotional manipulation, claiming Zornoza entered his room at night to touch and kiss him.

He said the abuse continued when he joined the seminary as an adult, where Zornoza allegedly pressured him into so-called “conversion therapy” to suppress his homosexuality, while entering his bed “almost every night and morning.”

Zornoza was appointed bishop by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, and the Vatican’s internal investigation could result in disciplinary action or removal from office.

The Cadiz diocese has been criticized for its lack of transparency regarding past abuse cases. The El Pais reported that it is among the least cooperative dioceses in Spain when providing information on clerical abuse.

According to the newspaper’s database, more than 1,500 clergy members in Spain have been accused of sexual abuse, with nearly 3,000 known victims.​​​​​​​

A 2023 investigation by Spain’s ombudsman found that 0.6% of the country’s adult population had suffered sexual abuse as children at the hands of clergy, a figure that would put the total number of victims at more than 200,000.