Prominent cardinal denies allegations of sexual abuse that led to disciplinary measures

Vatican City, Jan 27, 2025 / 15:10 pm (CNA).

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed on Sunday the disciplinary measures that were taken in 2019 against Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, archbishop emeritus of Lima, Peru, as a result of “the accusations [of sexual abuse] formulated against him.”

“I can confirm to you that as a result of the accusations made against him, and following the acceptance of his resignation as archbishop of Lima, a penal precept was imposed on the cardinal with certain disciplinary measures relating to his public activity, place of residence, and use of insignia, signed and accepted by His Eminence,” Bruni confirmed on Jan. 26 to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Bruni also said that “on specific occasions” he was granted “certain permissions to attend to requests due to the age and family situation of the cardinal.” In any case, the Holy See Press Office director made it clear that “this precept is still in force today.”

However, Cipriani stated that after an audience with Pope Francis in February 2020, he was allowed to resume his pastoral activities.

“This is demonstrated by my extensive pastoral activity carried out during these years, preaching spiritual retreats, administering sacraments, etc.,” the prelate explained on Saturday, Jan. 25, in a letter published on the Medium platform.

However, the Holy See Press Office did not confirm that he had this permission regarding pastoral activities but limited it to exceptions having to do with “the age and family situation of the cardinal.”

Cipriani broke his silence on Friday, Jan. 24, denying the accusations of sexual abuse against him published by the Spanish newspaper El País and revealing that the Vatican imposed sanctions on him in 2019, the same ones that the Vatican confirmed to ACI Prensa.

The accusations published by El País are based on the testimony of a 58-year-old man who said that Cipriani — who was an Opus Dei priest from 1977 to 1988, when he was named bishop by Pope John Paul II — abused him in 1983 when he was between 16 and 17 years old at an Opus Dei center.

Accusations denied

“In light of the accusations that the newspaper El País published today, Jan. 25, 2025, about me, I would like to clarify that the incidents they describe are completely false. I have not committed any crime nor have I sexually abused anyone, not in 1983, nor before or after,” Cipriani stated in his letter.

The Peruvian cardinal revealed that in August 2018, the Holy See informally informed him of the existence of a complaint against him, without providing details.

Later, in December 2019, he was verbally informed of a series of sanctions, including the limitation of his priestly ministry, the requirement of stable residence outside of Peru, and a request to remain silent on the matter.

“Then, without having been heard, without having known more and without a [canonical] process being opened, on Dec. 18, 2019, the apostolic nuncio verbally informed me that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had imposed a series of penalties on me limiting my priestly ministry and asking me to have a stable residence outside Peru,” Cipriani further explained.

Audience with Pope Francis and resumption of pastoral activity 

“On Feb. 4, 2020, I had an audience with Pope Francis,” the cardinal continued, “and the Holy Father allowed me to continue my pastoral work.”

“During these years outside Lima, I lived in Rome dedicated to my work as a cardinal member of the Dicastery for the Cause of Saints until I turned 80 and retired from all work in the Roman Curia and moved to Madrid,” he said.

In the letter, Cipriani reiterated his “total rejection and repudiation of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people” and his commitment “to the Church’s struggle to eradicate this scourge, following the guidelines set by John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and the special leadership of Pope Francis, putting the victims at the center.”

The reaction of Opus Dei in Peru

In response to the situation, the vicar of Opus Dei in Peru, Ángel Gómez-Hortigüela, issued a statement asking for forgiveness for not having adequately attended to a person in 2018 who accused Cipriani of sexual abuse. In any case, he did not clarify whether this was the same individual referred to by El País.

“I ask for forgiveness from the bottom of my heart for not having had the sense to warmly receive and attend to a person who wanted to be heard,” Gómez-Hortigüela said. 

The vicar explained that in 2018 he could not interfere in a formal accusation already initiated with the Holy See against a cardinal but acknowledged that he could “have offered [the alleged victim] a personal, human, and spiritual welcome.”

He also clarified that there is no record of any formal proceedings against Cipriani during his years as an Opus Dei priest, although he admitted that the protocols on abuse were updated in 2020.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261833/prominent-cardinal-denies-allegations-of-sexual-abuse-that-led-to-disciplinary-measures