Overview
- Nine members of the Spanish bishops’ Executive Commission met Pope León XIV in Rome in a one‑hour, ordinary audience that was requested at his election and granted in August.
- Luis Argüello said the canonical procedure concerning Bishop Rafael Zornoza is open and about 15 days old, and he indicated the resignation could be accepted soon.
- The Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta has rejected the allegations as very serious and false, and the bishop has temporarily suspended his public agenda.
- The Holy See opened the inquiry after an alleged victim filed a complaint earlier this year to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding events from the 1990s.
- Argüello noted that a Vatican investigation signals verisimilitude while emphasizing presumption of innocence and a guarantee‑focused process, and he cited ongoing victim‑support mechanisms in Spain’s dioceses.