Argentine bishop named to Vatican office rejects criticism of his handling of abuse allegations

By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA
Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — An Argentine bishop named by Pope Francis to lead a powerful Vatican office that ensures doctrinal orthodoxy is rejecting accusations that he refused to believe victims of sexual abuse by a priest in the South American country. He said he took some actions after the allegations resurfaced in 2019. Monsignor Victor Manuel Fernández, archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, was appointed to head the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose mandate includes handling sex abuse allegations lodged against clergy. US group BishopAccountability.org says the prelate in 2019 refused to believe victims who accused priest Eduardo Lorenzo in the La Plata archdiocese of abusing boys.