Pope accepts resignation of Peruvian bishop accused of abuse

July 16, 2026

Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Bishop Antonio Santarsiero Rosa, O.S.J., from the governance of the Diocese of Huacho, Peru.

Born in 1951 in Avigliano, Italy, Santarsiero was ordained to the priesthood in 1980. He was consecrated a bishop in 2001, governing the Territorial Prelature (now Diocese) of Huari, Peru, from 2001 to 2004, and the Diocese of Huacho since 2004.

In 2024, a priest, in a letter to the apostolic nuncio and Dicastery for Bishops—then led by the future Pope Leo—accused Bishop Santarsiero of abusing a seminarian as well as himself. The Tablet reported:

Santarsiero is alleged to have sexually abused a vulnerable young man who was a student in Huacho’s junior seminary over a number of years, starting when he was a minor. The priest alleges that while he was his personal assistant the bishop subjected him to unwanted caresses and put him under psychological pressure, including claiming that he was a homosexual.

The bishop denied the allegations when they became public in April and stepped back from his role as secretary general of the episcopal conference. On June 13, he turned 75, the age at which bishops are required to submit their resignation, and the Pontiff accepted his resignation on July 15.

 

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Further information:

• Resignations and Appointments (Holy See Press Office, 7/15/26)
• Peruvian bishop steps back from conference role to address abuse allegations (The Tablet, 4/13/26)