Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of 63-Year-Old Honduran Bishop
Born on March 19, 1962, Bishop Cortés was ordained a priest on October 12, 1996. On January 2, 2017, Pope Francis appointed him the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Danlí, formed from territory of the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa.
Two Major Controversies
His tenure as bishop was surrounded by two major controversies: one involving tensions over Nicaragua’s Church–state conflict, and another concerning sexual abuse allegations against Rev. German Flores.
Bishop Canales accused the Nicaraguan government of persecuting priests and bishops who oppose President Daniel Ortega. In 2024, he said that the Nicaraguan regime was “taking advantage of the distraction caused by events in Venezuela” to intensify its repression of clergy.
Furthermore, Bishop Canales was accused of mishandling the case of Rev Flores. The priest, who belongs to the Danlí diocese, has been accused by multiple accusers of raping female minors. Bishop Canales was accused of sheltering the priest (“keeping Rev Flores hidden in a Tegucigalpa parish”) and obstructing investigations.
#newsYygonmmeoi