Convicted Bishop, friend of the Pope, still on the payroll
The bishopric of Oran suspended and evicted a priest accused of sexual abuse
The Diocese of Oran announced that the priest, Carlos Fernando Paez, who was accused of simple aggravated sexual abuse and whose case has been requested to be brought to trial, has been suspended. He will not be able to work as a priest and was evicted from the residence of the Parish of Nuestra Señora de la Merced de la Unión. "It is a belated but correct reaction," said journalistic sources in the Department of Oran.
According to Nuevo Diario, the priest was still a priest, despite the fact that the allegations against him which were discovered in 2019, and he continued to maintain contact with young people in the church.
The suspension was signed by the Bishop of the diocese, Fray Luis Antonio Scozzina. Unlike the case of Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, who never lost his position in the religious hierarchy, the bishop took the measure against Paez.
"Until today, no Bishop had ever taken a decision like this," colleagues in the area told this newspaper.
With this decision, Paez will be removed from all Catholic activity and from the religious home where he resided but he cannot be expelled from the church until the canonical trial is carried out.
According to what was explained to this newspaper, not being expelled from the church means that the person will continue to receive a salary from the religious institution, for example, until the canonical trial is resolved. Bishop Zanchetta himself, not having had his case decided by the church, continues as a Bishop even though he is not in office, and therefore continues to receive his salary for his position.
In the case of Paez, he will not be able to officiate at Mass or exercise any function of the ecclesiastical ministry, but it is necessary to emphasise that he will continue to be linked to the church.
Although the allegations became known two years ago, the facts that were denounced would have occurred between 2015 and 2017.
"There was one of the people within the Bishopric of Oran who went through the abuse of Zanchetta and Paez," sources said about the tenor of the allegations against Paez.
See Extraordinary relationship between convicted Bishop and Pope
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