Paraguayan bishops blast colleague, deny cover-up
April 24, 2009
The executive committee of the Paraguayan bishops’ conference has strongly criticized recent statements by fellow Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano of Ciudad del Este, a priest of Opus Dei since 1978 and bishop since 2004. “The executive committees laments and rejects the statements by Bishop Rogelio Livieres Plano which imply that there was a cover-up and complicity on the part of the bishops of Paraguay regarding the moral conduct of the then-member of the episcopal college, Bishop Fernando Lugo,” the bishops said in a statement
Bishop Livieres had said that the hierarchy has known "for years" about the infidelities of then-Bishop Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez, now the nation’s president. “The Church hierarchy knew for years of this misconduct by Lugo, but kept silent … The Church failed when it did not speak more clearly. It's a cover-up of sorts.”
On April 22, a third woman claimed that the ex-bishop had fathered her child.
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Further information:
- Declaración Del Consejo Permanente De La CEP Ante Expresiones Del Obispo De Ciudad Del Este (Conferencia Episcopal Paraguaya)
- Paraguayan bishops deny cover-up of Lugo's children (CNA)
- Third love-child claim hits Paraguayan president (CNN)
- 2nd paternity suit against Paraguay’s ex-bishop president; Opus Dei bishop alleges ‘cover-up of sorts’ (CWN, April 22)
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