Overview
- Ramón Darío Valdivia was named apostolic administrator of Cádiz and Ceuta to govern temporarily in the name of the Pope until a new bishop is appointed.
- The Holy See accepted Rafael Zornoza’s resignation, which he had submitted at retirement age, after public reporting revealed an ongoing church investigation.
- A canonical probe handled through Vatican tribunals, reported to involve the Rota in Madrid and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, remains active after a July complaint deemed credible.
- The allegation from an ex-seminarian describes repeated molestation and shared beds from ages 14 to 21 in the Getafe seminary; the Cádiz diocese denies the claims and Zornoza asserts innocence.
- Civil charges are viewed as unlikely because the alleged acts date to the 1990s, while Zornoza has paused his public duties, is cooperating with church authorities, and is receiving treatment for aggressive cancer.