VATICAN CITY (VATICAN CITY)
Washington Examiner [Washington D.C.]
July 10, 2023
By Jeremiah Poff
An Argentine bishop tapped by Pope Francis this month to lead one of the Vatican‘s most powerful departments admitted to making mistakes in responding to accusations that a priest in his diocese had sexually abused children.
Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, the archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, told the Associated Press that he would have handled the case of Eduardo Lorenzo very differently today than he did in 2019. Lorenzo was accused of sexual abuse by several children and was found dead of an apparent suicide after an Argentine judge ordered his arrest in December 2019. Critics have accused Fernandez of not believing the allegations against Lorenzo.
“Today I would certainly act very differently and certainly my performance was insufficient,” Fernandez told the outlet about his handling of the accusations against Lorenzo.
Fernandez’s handling of the case has drawn renewed scrutiny since Pope Francis announced that the Argentine bishop would be leaving his post in Argentina to become the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican office charged with ensuring that Catholic doctrine is followed. The dicastery is also tasked with responding to cases of sexual abuse by clergy. On Sunday, Francis announced that Fernandez would be elevated to the rank of cardinal in September, granting him voting privileges at the next papal election.
The archbishop is a longtime ally and friend of the Argentine Pope Francis, dating back to the pontiff’s days as archbishop of Buenos Aires prior to his election to the papacy in 2013 following the historic resignation of Benedict XVI that year.
The archbishop and cardinal-designate told the Associated Press that his “insufficient” response to the Lorenzo accusations was due to a lack of experience as the head of a diocese prior to becoming the archbishop of La Plata in 2018.
“I cannot say that I have committed a crime or something against what was established at that time, but that I could have been a much better father, much better pastor, and much more efficient,” he said. “That, of course, I recognize … with everything I say it is clear that I did not act in the best way.”