One year after InfoVaticana revealed the scandal of priest José Castro Cea—known in Madrid as «Josete»—, Cardinal José Cobo has not only avoided removing him, but keeps him at the head of the International Institute of Distance Theology, the institution that trains thousands of laypeople, seminarians, and religion teachers throughout Spain.

In November 2024, we published that a video was circulating among the Madrid clergy in which «Josete» appeared in a gay bar in Chueca, publicly displaying scenes inappropriate for a priest. At that time, Castro tried to end the controversy by claiming that “it was a joke.” Today, InfoVaticana makes that same video public so that readers can judge for themselves if what is seen there has anything to do with a joke.

Cobo, cover-up by action or omission

Cobo’s decision to keep a priest who became the protagonist of a public scandal in a teaching position is not a gesture of pastoral indulgence, but a clear act of cover-up. He who should set an example of transparency and moral rigor has preferred to support his old friend and ally in power.

It is worth remembering that it was Castro Cea himself who, thanks to his contacts in Rome, facilitated Cobo’s meteoric career. When he was still a grassroots priest, «Josete» had a direct line to Pope Francis, at the behest of Elías Royón, and personally recommended the then vicar José Cobo as the future bishop of Madrid. Today, the debt is paid by keeping him in positions of trust.

The “puppy patrol” reinvents itself

The group of progressive priests in Madrid, ironically nicknamed the “puppy patrol,” remains well-positioned. Toño Casado, another of its members, is currently the parish priest of the Pilar church, the same one from which “Josete” launched his particular pastoral style. The control of strategic parishes and training institutions shows that the network is still alive, although its reputation is cracking.

The price of silence

Among the Madrid clergy, there is a certainty: Castro knows too much about Cobo to be removed. The only way to keep the peace is to keep him in the position and guarantee him a golden retirement. But the price of this silence is paid by the faithful, who see how a key institute for the training of catechists and religion teachers falls into the hands of someone with a history that compromises his credibility.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Cobo presents himself as a reformer and the Pope’s trusted man in Spain. However, the facts show him as a hierarch more concerned with shielding his circle of friends than with the dignity of the priestly ministry or the serious training of future priests.