Pope accepts resignation of Colombian bishop accused of sexual abuse
July 23, 2024
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Óscar Augusto Múnera Ochoa, 62, from the governance of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tierradentro, Colombia.
El Colombiano reported that Bishop Múnera, appointed a bishop by Pope Francis in 2015, had been accused by two journalists in a 2023 book of sexually abusing a young man in 2005. One of the journalists, Juan Pablo Barrientos, said that the resignation constitutes “a small victory for the survivor, who has been denouncing this personage for more than 20 years.”
Barrientos’ statement raises the question of how a Colombian priest accused of sexual abuse could be appointed a bishop after the allegation was made. El Colombiano reported that three bishops were “apparently” involved in a cover-up.
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