Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a Colombian bishop, as reported by the Vatican in its daily news bulletin. The bishop in question, Óscar Augusto Múnera, served in the apostolic vicariate of Tierra Adentro in southwest Colombia. The Vatican's announcement did not provide specific details regarding the reasons for Múnera's resignation.
Múnera's name surfaced in a book authored by investigative journalists, which highlighted alleged acts of sexual abuse involving members of Colombia's clergy. The book, published last year, contains a list of over 500 individuals from Colombia's Roman Catholic clergy who have been accused of engaging in such misconduct. Despite these allegations, Colombian authorities have not pressed any charges against Múnera.
According to a report on the news site Religion Digital, it is claimed that Múnera was involved in an incident of abuse concerning a young man back in 2005 when he was serving as a priest in the municipality of Santa Rosa de Osos. Múnera has refrained from making any public statements regarding these accusations. Additionally, the Colombia Bishops Conference has chosen not to comment on the circumstances surrounding Múnera's resignation.
