The director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the disciplinary measures undertaken in 2019 against Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, Archbishop Emeritus of Lima, as a result “of the accusations made against him.”
“I can confirm that as a result of the accusations made against him, and after the acceptance of his resignation as a archbishop of Lima, a criminal precept with certain disciplinary measures related to his public activity, place of residence and use of badges, was imposed on the cardinal, a criminal precept, place Signed and accepted by his eminence, ”said Bruni to ACI Press this Sunday, January 26.
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Bruni also said that “sometimes specific” were granted “certain permits to attend requests due to the cardinal’s age and family situation.” In any case, he made it clear that “at present this precept is still in force.”
However, 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.”, explained on Saturday, January 25 in a published letter en la platform Medium.
However, the Vatican press office did not confirm this permission linked to pastoral activities, but circumscribed it to the exceptions linked “to the cardinal’s age and family situation.”
Cardinal Cipriani broke his silence on Saturday 24 to deny accusations of sexual abuse against him The Spanish newspaper El País published and reveal that the Vatican imposed sanctions in 2019. These sanctioning measures that the Vatican confirmed to ACI Press.
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
“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.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.