The Archbishopric of Seville, through its head José Ángel Saiz, has officially confirmed the dismissal of the complaint filed against Rafael Zornoza, emeritus bishop of Cadiz. The news, which initially surfaced on April 10, was officially communicated by the archbishop at an event held in the Andalusian capital.

The decision comes from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican body responsible for investigating child abuse within the clergy. This dicastery has declared itself not competent to proceed with the case, as it could not be definitively proven that the victim was a minor at the time of the alleged events. Consequently, the complaint has been dismissed.

Despite the dismissal, Archbishop Saiz noted that "the matter remains in Rome," indicating that the Archdiocese of Seville completed its task by forwarding all gathered information to the Vatican.

The complaint first came to light in November 2025, when the newspaper El País published an interview with a man accusing Rafael Zornoza, then bishop of Cadiz, of alleged abuses committed in the 1990s while he was rector of the Seminary of Getafe. The Spanish Episcopal Conference had stated that the filed complaint showed signs of plausibility.

Zornoza responded to the accusations in a statement, calling them "unjust and false." Shortly thereafter, his departure from the diocese was expedited. On November 22, 2025, the Pope accepted Zornoza's resignation, and he became an emeritus bishop. It is worth remembering that this resignation had been submitted fifteen months prior, upon reaching the age of 75. At that time, Ramón Darío Valdivia, auxiliary bishop of Seville, was appointed apostolic administrator of the diocese of Cadiz and Ceuta.