Vatican City, Nov 25, 2019 / 14:00 pm
Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta will be returning to his home country to face charges of sexual and financial misconduct on Tuesday, he announced in a statement through his canon lawyer on Saturday.
Zanchetta, the former Bishop of Oran, has pledged to fully cooperate with authorities, and said he will appear at a court hearing on Thursday. Zanchetta has been accused of "aggravated continuous sexual abuse" of two adult-aged seminarians.
The bishop's last known residence was in the Domus Santa Marta in Vatican City, where he is currently suspended from his role as assessor at the Administration for the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, the Holy See's central bank and sovereign asset manager. He has repeatedly denied suggestions he was fleeing justice.
"We wish to clarify that Bishop Zanchetta is neither in an unknown location nor of a refugee status, with the intention of escaping from justice," said a statement from Dr. D. Javier Belda Iniesta, Zanchetta's canon lawyer, released to the media on November 23.