Pope Leo XIV accepts resignation of Peruvian bishop accused of sexual abuse

On July 15, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Antonio Santarsiero Rosa as bishop of the Diocese of Huacho, Peru, which he has led since 2004.

The resignation was accepted as Santarsiero turned 75, the age at which the Code of Canon Law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. The decision comes just over three months after allegations of sexual abuse and psychological mistreatment against the prelate came to light.

The Holy See Press Office stated only that “the Holy Father has accepted the resignation” without providing further details.

Accusations against Santarsiero

In April, the Spanish news outlet InfoVaticana reported on the accusations, contained in a dossier sent to the apostolic nunciature in Peru and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome.

According to the outlet, the documentation contains allegations of sexual abuse and psychological mistreatment attributed to the bishop over a period of several years.

InfoVaticana also reported that the two accounts align on key details of the alleged incidents, with one of them claiming that some of the abuse occurred while the victim was still a minor.

Santarsiero denied the accusations. The same outlet reported that he “categorically” denied the alleged conduct, as it “completely contradicts my track record and principles as a priest and bishop, in which I have always acted with integrity, respect, and pastoral commitment.”

Following the public disclosure of the allegations, the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference (CEP, by its Spanish acronym) issued a statement on April 9 announcing that Santarsiero had requested to step down as secretary-general of the Peruvian episcopate “as an act of responsibility toward the institutional mission, in order to devote himself to clarifying the truth.”

In the same statement, signed by CEP president Bishop Carlos García Camader, the bishops affirmed that the institution “is making every necessary effort to clarify the reported incidents, acting in accordance with established protocols and applicable law, both canon and civil.”

The bishops also reaffirmed “confidence in the canonical penal system and its proper application” and reminded that other alleged victims may turn to the listening channels established by the motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi.

Santarsiero’s background

Born in Italy on June 13, 1951, Santarsiero belongs to the Oblates of St. Joseph. He arrived in Peru in 1973 to pursue his theological studies and was ordained a priest on June 14, 1980.

St. John Paul II appointed Santarsiero prelate of Huarí in June 2001, and he received episcopal ordination on Aug. 12 of that same year. On Feb. 4, 2004, he was named bishop of Huacho and took possession of the diocese that April.

In addition to his pastoral service in Huacho, he was a member of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference starting in 2017 and had been serving as its secretary-general since 2024.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.