In January, the Spanish fake news paper El País published an accusation of "inappropriate touching" (1983) against Cardinal Cipriani. Infovaticana.com added that it had received the information "from high ecclesiastical circles in the Vatican".
Cardinal Cipriani has always maintained his innocence.
In March, he asked from his brother bishops to retract an earlier communiqué in which they said the allegations were verified facts: "It is not true that anything has been proven," he wrote.
The Bishops' Conference responded yesterday in a communiqué on Iglesia.org.pe.
It reiterates "the recognition expressed" in the earlier communiqué and affirms "that the Holy Father has treated Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, with exquisite pastoral charity, combining justice and mercy".
The communiqué refers to the "disciplinary measures that are still in force, regarding his public activity, his place of residence and the use of insignia" as a Cardinal.
The bishops claim to accept Cardinal Cipriani's "right to declare his innocence, since guilt is proven in a criminal trial", which Cardinal Cipriani never had.
But they maintain: "It is no less certain that there is a canonical sentence".
They conclude with the warning that Cardinal Cipriani "should not forget the exquisite pastoral charity" he received from Francis.
Cardinal Cipriani accepted the measures against him in 2019 in anticipation of a trial that never came, but added alredy then immediately and in writing that he was innocent.
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