The priest and psychopedagogue Alfons Gea, cousin of the Archbishop of Rabat, publishes a column on the Exaudi portal in which he does not deny the reported facts —“there is what there is,” he writes—, framing them as a weakness against the sixth commandment with adult women, and takes the opportunity to call for a debate on celibacy. He also suggests that there could be “interests in silencing his doctrine.”
Hours after it became known that Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero was stepping aside from his duties while Rome investigates the complaints of five adult women, the portal Exaudi published a column notable for two reasons: its author and its content. It is signed by Alfons Gea, a priest of the Diocese of Terrassa, theologian and psychopedagogue, first cousin of the cardinal, under the title “My cousin Cristóbal, the cardinal, with feet of clay.”
The text is not an exonerating plea. Gea takes for granted that the news would reach the press —the accusation of “maintaining inappropriate relations with adult women”— and writes without ambiguity: “Neither he, nor I, nor the family, are going to try to hide the truth. There is what there is. He is neither the first nor the last to falter in the sixth commandment.” According to his cousin, the cardinal is “living the mourning in advance, of the positions and rank he held until now.”
The columnist emphasizes the limit the family itself sets on the matter: “It would have pained the family if he had been implicated in some financial scheme, power struggle, or worse still, we would not have forgiven him for committing any crime involving minors.” And he floats a hypothesis that is bound to spark discussion: “When everything is known, we may find out that there may have been interests in silencing his doctrine. The best way to do that is to discredit him. We shall see.”
Gea concludes by calling for an open “debate on celibacy” and “on the personal relationships of consecrated persons,” and laments that his cousin’s career will be “blown up by a skirt affair.”
We reproduce below the full article, published in the Voices section of Exaudi:
My cousin Cristóbal, the cardinal, with feet of clay
By Alfons Gea. Published in Exaudi on July 7, 2026.
The news will come out in the press that Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero has been accused of maintaining inappropriate relations with adult women.
The figure of a papabile, with so many sympathies, collapses. He never had himself called monsignor, or anything of the sort. He feels the pain it may cause many people, but personally, he tells me that he is living the mourning in advance, of the positions and rank he held until now.
I reminded him of our mothers, when mine, a widow, entered into a relationship with a gentleman, also a widower. His mother, as the older sister, told her that it was a sin, to which mine replied that sin was harming someone and that they were not harming anyone. I must say that thanks to my pressure they got married, although the marriage soon fell apart. Duties toward the children and grandchildren made it difficult.
We find ourselves again with the dilemma of why good people do bad things. As I wrote at the time, commenting on the case of the founder of the Traperos de Emaús, a national figure decorated with the French Legion of Honor.
Neither he, nor I, nor the family, are going to try to hide the truth. There is what there is. He is neither the first nor the last to falter in the sixth commandment.
It would have pained the family if he had been implicated in some financial scheme, power struggle, or worse still, we would not have forgiven him for committing any crime involving minors.
But seeing him stripped of his rank and vestments is no trauma for him, since he has always lived as if he did not have them. Now he will be closer to those who live in irregular situations, of whom there are many.
He is of retirement age and has the strength to work, since the pension he receives is small.
When everything is known, we may find out that there may have been interests in silencing his doctrine. The best way to do that is to discredit him. We shall see.
Personally, I still found colleagues in the priesthood who were surprised by my kinship with him. Now I think everyone will know. Bad news carries more weight than good news.
I have seen in Cristóbal that the same compassion he has had for others, he is not having for himself. The only thing he feels is the harm he may cause to the Church.
This should open a debate on celibacy. And even more on the personal relationships of consecrated persons. The sacrifice, the self-giving, the austerity, living the Gospel naturally, being close and a voice for the weak, are going to be blown up by a skirt affair.
Perhaps a person had been deified and we were mistaken. Now, some seek to demonize him; perhaps they are also mistaken.