Pope Leo XIV accepts resignation of Spanish bishop accused of abuse in first known case for pontiff

Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Spanish Bishop Rafael Zornoza on Saturday amid allegations of sexual abuse, marking the pontiff’s first removal of a bishop facing such accusations since taking office.

The Vatican’s brief statement only mentioned that Leo had accepted Zornoza’s resignation but provided no explanation for the decision. Zornoza, 76, had submitted his resignation last year upon reaching the standard retirement age of 75 for bishops, though it remained pending until now.

The resignation comes in the wake of an El País newspaper report published earlier this month revealing that Zornoza had been placed under investigation by a church tribunal. According to the report, Zornoza is accused of sexually abusing a young seminarian while serving as a priest and director of the diocesan seminary in Getafe during the 1990s.

The allegations are severe. In a letter to the Vatican, the former seminarian claimed Zornoza fondled him and regularly slept with him from when he was 14 to 21 years old. The letter further alleged that Zornoza heard his confession and convinced him to see a psychiatrist to “cure” his homosexuality—a particularly troubling abuse of spiritual authority.

The Diocese of Cádiz has vigorously denied the accusations, describing them as “very serious and also false.” In a statement released on November 10, the diocese confirmed that an investigation is being conducted by the church court in Madrid, known as the Rota. The diocese added that Zornoza is cooperating with investigators and has temporarily suspended his duties “to clarify the facts and to undergo treatment for an aggressive form of cancer.”

This case represents a significant moment in the Spanish Catholic Church’s ongoing reckoning with its history of abuse. It appears to be the first publicly known instance of a Spanish bishop being placed under investigation for alleged abuse since the church began confronting its legacy of abuse and cover-up in recent years.

The scandal unfolds against the backdrop of Spain’s first official probe into church abuse, completed in 2023. The investigation, conducted by the office of Spain’s ombudsman over 18 months, examined 487 cases of alleged victims who spoke with investigators. Based on survey data, the report suggested the total number of victims could reach into the hundreds of thousands—a staggering figure that has shaken Spain’s Catholic identity to its core.

Spain’s Catholic bishops apologized following the ombudsman’s report but disputed its interpretations, calling them a “lie” and arguing that abuse was more prevalent outside the church than within it. In 2024, the Spanish Catholic hierarchy released its own report, acknowledging evidence of 728 sexual abusers within the church since 1945.

The hierarchy subsequently launched a compensation plan for victims after the Spanish government approved measures requiring the church to pay economic reparations. This government intervention represents an unprecedented level of state involvement in addressing clerical abuse in Spain, a country with deep Catholic roots.

Pope Leo has not immediately named a temporary leader for the Diocese of Cádiz following Zornoza’s resignation. The pontiff’s decision to accept the resignation while an investigation is ongoing may signal a more proactive approach to addressing abuse allegations compared to his predecessors.

The case highlights the continuing challenge facing the Catholic Church globally as it attempts to address historical abuse while maintaining credibility with the faithful and the broader public. In Spain, where Catholicism has traditionally been a cornerstone of national identity, the crisis has contributed to declining religious practice and growing secularization.

As the investigation into Zornoza continues, many observers will be watching to see if this case represents a turning point in how the church handles allegations against high-ranking clergy in Spain and beyond.