Cardinal Cipriani denies accusations of sexual abuse and explains his departure from Peru

Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, Archbishop Emeritus of Lima, broke his silence this Saturday to deny the accusations of sexual abuse against him that The Spanish newspaper El País published and reveal that the Vatican imposed sanctions in 2019.

Cardinal Cipriani published a letter on the medium platform in response to the article in which he described the allegations as “completely false” and took the opportunity to explain the circumstances of his departure from Peru.

The accusations published by the country are based on the testimony of a 58 -year -old man who assured that Cipriani cardinal – who was a priest of Opus Dei between 1977 and 1988, when he was appointed Bishop for San Juan Paul II – abused him when he had Between 16 and 17 years in 1983 in a center of Opus Dei.

Denial of accusations

“Given the accusations that today, January 25, 2025, the newspaper El País has published about my person, I want to clarify that the facts they describe are completely false. I have not committed any crime or sexually abused anyone or in 1983, or Before, or later, “said Cardinal Cipriani in his letter.

The Purpurado Peruano revealed that in August 2018, the Holy See informally communicated the existence of a complaint against him, without giving him details. Subsequently, in December 2019, a series of sanctions were verbally communicated, including the limitation of its priestly ministry, the stable residence requirement outside Peru and a request to remain silent on the matter.

“Next, without having been heard, without having known more and without a process opened, on December 18, 2019, the Apostolic Nuncio verbally communicated me that the congregation for the doctrine of faith had imposed a series of penalties limiting me My priestly ministry and asking that it had a stable residence outside Peru, “added Cardinal Cipriani.

Audience with the pope and pastoral activity

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

“This is demonstrated by my broad pastoral activity carried out during these years, preaching spiritual retreats, sacraments administration, etc.,” he explained in the letter.

“In these years out of Lima I lived in Rome dedicated to my works as a cardinal member of the Dicasterio for the cause of the saints until I turned 80 and retired from any occupation in the Roman curia and moved to Madrid,” he said.

In the letter, Cardinal Cipriani reiterated his “rejection and total rejection of sexual abuses to minors and vulnerable people” and their commitment “to the Church’s struggle to eradicate this scourge, following the instructions of John Paul II, Benedict XVI and The special leadership of Pope Francis, putting the victims in the center. “

OPUS DEI reaction 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 properly attended in 2018 to a person who accused Cardinal Cipriani of sexual abuse. In any case, he did not clarify whether it was the same individual referred to in the country.

“I apologize with all my heart if I have not known how to attend a person who wanted to be heard,” Gómez-Hortigüela said.

The Vicar explained that in 2018 he could not interfere with a formal accusation already initiated before the Holy See against a cardinal, but acknowledged that he could “have offered him a personal, human and spiritual reception.”

In addition, he clarified that there is no record of any formal process against Cardinal Cipriani during his years as a priest of Opus Dei, although he admitted that abuse protocols were updated in 2020.

ACI Press tried to contact the Vatican press office this Saturday but for the moment he has not obtained any response.