Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Monsignor Ciro Quispe López, bishop of the Prelature of Juli, in Puno (Peru), following a series of denunciations that left him without moral authority before his faithful. The decision was published on September 24 in the official bulletin of the Holy See, in the Rinunce e Nomine section, where it was indicated that the Holy Father accepted Quispe’s resignation.
At just 51 years old, his resignation is presented as a forced measure, far from the canonical retirement age established at 75 years. The case constitutes an unusual and scandalous fact for the Church in the Andean south, where communities demanded his immediate departure.
Accusations of sexual abuses and immoral life
According to Infobae, testimonies collected by the Peruvian newspaper Sin Fronteras accuse him of maintaining extramarital relationships with various women. A former employee of the episcopal residence assured that he found women’s clothing and used condoms in the bishop’s quarters. A cook declared the same. Additionally, audios attributed to Quispe circulate, with messages of an affectionate nature toward a woman.
The denunciations even include an accusation of rape, collected by the local media Sin Fronteras. Although the judicial process did not prosper, the mere imputation undermined his credibility and aroused the repudiation of the parishioners.
Misappropriation and shady dealings
The portal Secretum Meum Mihi and the newspaper Perú 21 recall that Quispe was also pointed out for diverting funds from the prelate and using donations for personal purposes. The most notorious case was the setup of a chicken shop with Church money, which provoked indignation in the local community.
The bishop was also accused of attempting to appropriate religious museums and of intervening in historic temples without authorization from the Ministry of Culture, which led to official sanctions.
Protests from the faithful and apostolic visitation
The growing scandal provoked unprecedented rejection in the localities of Juli, Pomata, Desaguadero, and Yunguyo. Perú 21 recalls that the communities even organized marches demanding Quispe’s departure and threatened to “take him out on a donkey” as a symbol of humiliation.
The gravity of the case led the Apostolic Nunciature in Peru to appoint Monsignor Marco Antonio Cortez Lara, bishop of Tacna and Moquegua, as apostolic visitor on July 16. The Peruvian Episcopal Conference confirmed the measure the next day, clarifying that the Holy See sought “to verify the reference situation in an exact manner”.
From promising academic to public scandal
Quispe, a native of Cusco, was ordained a priest in 2001 and appointed bishop by Pope Francis in 2018. With studies in Biblical Sciences in Rome and teaching experience in seminaries and universities, his profile promised solid pastoral work. However, his governance in Juli turned into a succession of scandals that destroyed his credibility.