The priest José García Quintana, former head of Prison Pastoral Care of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, was removed from his positions following a complaint received in July 2025.
The Compañía de Jesús has confirmed that the Jesuit priest has been provisionally removed from his post after receiving a complaint of abuse against a minor. The events, which allegedly occurred in Alicante and Zaragoza during the first decade of the 2000s, became known in July 2025 through the internal complaints channel of the order.
According to the official statement, after initial internal verifications, in September the Company considered a testimony credible related to the events. Immediately thereafter, the information was forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office, in order to determine whether the offenses might be time-barred. “We trust in the work of the Justice system to clarify the truth and we will collaborate in everything required of us,” the note states, also emphasizing that in the canonical sphere abuse offenses do not prescribe in the same terms as in civil jurisdiction.
Reaction of the Company and communication with the CEE
The Compañía de Jesús informed the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) once the veracity of the complaint was confirmed, given that the affected Jesuit —José García Quintana— held the position of head of Prison Pastoral Care of the Conference until then, appointed in March 2024 following the departure of Monsignor Florencio Roselló.
Sources consulted by Religión Confidencial indicate that the Company’s statement was published after the media confirmed that García Quintana had left the post and requested explanations for his dismissal. From that moment on, the order removed him from all his functions, without pastoral contact, and under precautionary measures of limitation and supervision, while the facts are clarified.
Presumption of innocence and commitment to reparation
In its public statement, the Company emphasizes its respect for the right to the presumption of innocence of the accused Jesuit, but assures that it maintains open internal investigations and the collection of new testimonies that may provide more clarity. “Our commitment —they add— is to listen, welcome, and accompany those who may have been affected.”
The statement concludes by expressing the deep pain of the Company “when thinking of the victims of abuse” and its desire to “respond with justice and truth.”
This new case adds to other internal processes in the Spanish ecclesial sphere, in a context in which both the Episcopal Conference and the religious orders have strengthened their mechanisms for transparency and accountability. The CEE, for the moment, has not issued any official statement on the case.