An Argentine bishop in the Vatican is the subject of an investigation for alleged abuse

An Argentine bishop who works in a major Vatican financial department is currently under investigation for allegations of badual abuse, the Vatican said Friday. This could become a new setback for Pope Francis as a result of badual scandals in the Church.

Gustavo Zanchetta, former 54-year-old Bishop of Oran, in northwestern Argentina, worked in the APSA department, an accounting and human resources department that also manages real estate in the Vatican. in Italy.

In a statement following recent media reports in Argentina, Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said that there was no allegation of badual abuse in the country. when Zanchetta started working for APSA in December 2017, about five months after leaving Oran.

"Sexual abuse charges were laid last fall," said Gisotti, adding that when Zanchetta resigned as bishop of Oran, he maintained tense relations with the priests of the diocese. accused of being authoritarian.

It is impossible to contact Zanchetta to comment on the Vatican's allegations or statement that he "would refrain from working". the APSA – where the pope created a new post for him – during the preliminary inquiry.

El Tribuno, a newspaper of the Argentine province of Salta, reported on December 28 that three priests had accused Zanchetta of being badually badaulted. of the Vatican in the capital Buenos Aires. The allegations include abuse of power and mismanagement of finances, according to the newspaper.

The news of the investigation could not have come at a worse time for Pope Francisco, also Argentinian. He summoned the leaders of 110 national conferences of Catholic bishops and dozens of experts and religious leaders to the Vatican from 21 to 24 February for an extraordinary meeting devoted to the global crisis of clergy badual abuse. .