Image: VOLKER Weihbold
As the responsible diocese of San Nicolas de los Arroyos announced at the weekend, the clergyman has to withdraw to a monastery for two weeks in mid-July to do penance. There he should “think about his wrong behavior and meditate,” it said. In the event of renewed violations, the canonical punishment could be tightened – up to and including suspension.
The priest caused a stir and outrage with a rant that quickly spread online as an audio recording. In it he described the new Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Ignacio Garcia Cuerva, recently appointed by Pope Francis, as “effeminate and gay”. His appointment was “the worst thing that could have happened to us”. The same applies to the Archbishop of La Plata, Victor Manuel Fernandez, who has been in office since 2018. He accused both bishops of “destroying the church”. Garcia Cuerva, whom he knows well from their time together in the seminary, is also a “supporter of terrorism”.
The priest has since apologized for his “pointless remarks”. In another statement, he assured that his claims were false. “I beg your forgiveness,” he said. He will accept the punishment imposed on him.
Source: Nachrichten
