Argentine bishop appears at court hearing on abuse charges

An Argentine bishop close to Pope Francis has appeared voluntarily for a court hearing ahead of a trial on charges of sexual abuse of two former seminarians

An Argentine bishop close to Pope Francis has appeared voluntarily for a court hearing ahead of a trial on charges of sexual abuse of two former seminarians. It’s one of several cases that have shaken the church in the pope’s homeland.

Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta had returned to Argentina from the Vatican to attend Wednesday’s session before Judge María Laura Toledo Zamora in the northwestern city of Oran, where he had served as bishop until July 2017.

Prosecutors accuse Zanchetta of continuing sexual abuse, a charge that could result in a 10-year sentence.

Zanchetta denies the allegations, which are also the subject of a church canon-law process.

The hearing was to establish who represents Zanchetta and his contact details.

The judge allowed him to return to the Vatican.