Overview
- Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Cádiz y Ceuta Bishop Rafael Zornoza, 76, the Vatican announced Saturday.
- The diocese says a tribunal known as the Rota is conducting the investigation at the Vatican’s embassy in Madrid and that Zornoza is cooperating.
- Zornoza and the diocese deny the accusation, and the bishop suspended his public agenda to address the case and receive treatment for an aggressive cancer.
- El País reported the complaint in a letter alleging Zornoza abused the accuser from ages 14 to 21 while directing a seminary, including hearing his confession and urging psychiatric treatment.
- Reuters and AP report this is the first publicly known case of a Spanish bishop under Vatican abuse investigation and the first such resignation accepted by the new pontiff, with no interim diocesan leader named.