VATICAN CITY/PERU
Vatican Insider
Lima’s Cardinal Jean Luis Cipriani contests and questions the Vatican’s removal of the Auxiliary Bishop of Ayaucho from his role. “He wasn’t given the chance to defend himself,” Cipriani said
ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN CITY
The accusations made against the 53 year old Auxiliary Bishop of Ayaucho (Peru), Gabino Miranda Melgarejo, who is suspected of sexually abusing minors, are apparently part of a setup. This serious claim was made by Cardinal Jean Luis Cipriani, in reference to the scandal involving one of the Peruvian bishops he considers closest to him. Cipriani,who is a member of the Opus Dei, openly stated that he believed he was the target of this set-up given that the scandal exploded just as he was due to travel to Rome to attend an audience with Pope Francis. Although Miranda was not a direct member of the Opus Dei he received “spiritual assistance” from an organisation closely linked to Opus Dei – the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross.
“Each of us needs to show strength in dealing with our weaknesses, recognising them and asking for forgiveness. We have nothing to hide but I don’t think “I don’t think banishing someone who hasn’t had the chance to defend himself, taking advantage of my visit to Rome and announcing things that have nothing to do with me is a very honest thing to do,” Cipriani told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
Lima’s Cardinal Cipriani assured the public that the Church would never hush things up but added that the accusations launched against Mgr. Gabino Miranda who has been blamed of allegedly abusing minors are part of a set-up aimed at discrediting him in the eyes of the public. Up until a short time ago, Bishop Gabino Miranda had been auxiliary to the President of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Salvador Piñeiro García-Calderón. It was the Bishop Emeritus of Chimbote, Luis Bambarén, who announced the news about the Vatican’s investigation into the prelate’s actions. He confirmed Gabino Miranda’s dismissal saying that “abuse of minors by an Auxiliary Bishop of Ayacucho cannot be tolerated.”The local Church apparently asked the civil authorities to intervene.
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