CNA Staff, Nov 19, 2020 / 19:00 pm
A California bishop under a Vatican investigation over his handling of sexual misconduct allegations said Wednesday that he will cooperate with investigators and he supports a process put in place by Pope Francis for the investigation of negligent bishops.
"Tuesday, Catholic News Agency (CNA) published an article about a possible Vatican investigation into the handling of clerical misconduct during my time as Bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces. I support the Vos Estis protocols to ensure the accountability of bishops and to bring justice and healing to victims/survivors, and I intend to cooperate fully with any inquiry," Bishop Oscar Cantu said Nov. 18.
The bishop's statement came after CNA reported that the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops has ordered an investigation Cantu's handling of allegations of clerical sexual abuse and misconduct. The investigation is being carried out under the provisions of Vos estis lux mundi, Pope Francis' 2019 law for holding bishops accountable in the handling of sexual abuse cases.
The allegations concern Cantu's handling of abuse and misconduct cases in his former diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Cantu was bishop of Las Cruces from 2013 to 2018, and is now Bishop of San Jose, California.