In Barcelona, the Archdiocese has said Cardinal Juan José Omella has “never” covered up cases of sexual abuse, after recent press reports raised allegations of concealment.
In its statement, the diocese said it condemns “any type of abuse, of power or sexual”, and added that Omella has repeated that position in speeches, homilies and writings during his time as archbishop and as president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. More Catalonia news
The statement also came as the Pope arrived in Spain, with King Philip VI referring to the “pain” caused by abuse and to Pope Leo XIV’s resolve to repair the damage.
On one case involving a priest identified as Mn J-A.P., the Archdiocese said a complaint was received by the Abuse Victim Support Service, SAVA. It said the minor involved was interviewed with their mother present, and that the family also filed a complaint with the Mossos d’Esquadra, which led to criminal proceedings still awaiting trial.
The diocese said there have been “no new developments” in that judicial process and that precautionary measures remain in force. It added that Mn J-A.P. has been removed from his parish post and holds no other diocesan roles. In a separate 2022 complaint against the same priest, which the Archdiocese said involved “sexual conduct between adults”, the complainant, Mr J.P., did not want to file a canonical complaint or take the matter to civil courts.
For the Mn Senabre case, the Archdiocese said the priest was arrested in June 1988, fled the country and did not appear for his criminal trial in October 1991. It said the civil courts later declared the facts prescribed, and that when Omella took office in late 2015 he ordered an ex officio investigation, which also ended with the case being declared prescribed. The diocese said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith closed the case on 2 August 2019, and that it later issued a decree condemning the conduct, imposing a public reprimand and public penance, and archiving the case unless new evidence emerged. Mn J.S. died in 2022.
