Pope Francis Wednesday accepted the resignation of an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles accused of misconduct with a minor in the 1990s but never prosecuted.
The allegation against Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar, who served as Vicar for the Office of Ethnic Ministries at the Roman Catholic Arcgdiocese of Los Angeles, was made before he was ordained bishop in 2004 and was investigated by police, after which the district attorney declined to file charges, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said in a letter to parishioners.
In 2005, the Archdiocese was made aware of the allegation, which was never reported directly to the Church, the letter said.
“The accusation against Bishop Salazar stemmed from alleged misconduct that was said to have occurred in the 1990s, before he was ordained a bishop, when he was serving as a parish priest,” Gomez said. “Since he was a bishop at the time the allegation was received, the Archdiocese referred the matter to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Holy See, which conducted an investigation and imposed certain precautionary measures on the ministry of Bishop Salazar.”
Salazar has maintained his innocence since the allegation was first brought forward and the matter was ultimately submitted to the Archdiocese’s independent Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board, Gomez said.
“The Board found the allegation to be credible and I submitted its findings and recommendations along with my own votum to the Holy See to make its final determination as to Bishop Salazar’s status,” Gomez said.
These decisions were made out of deep concern for the healing and reconciliation of abuse victims and for the good of the Church’s mission, he said.
As a priest, then-Father Salazar served at churches in Whittier, Pasadena and Los Angeles.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Wednesday called for an independent criminal investigation.
“We are perplexed and dismayed by the actions of the archdiocese in this case,” SNAP’s statement said. “According to Archbishop Jose Gomez, the Archdiocese has been aware of the allegation against Bishop Salazar since 2005. That means they allowed him to work around children and vulnerable adults for at least thirteen years before taking action. This is indefensible.
“Yes, Archdiocese of LA reported the allegation for investigation. However, that investigation was an internal one, conducted by church officials and the Vatican. Given the church’s history of minimizing crimes and protecting reputations over survivors, such a probe is not something that members of the public can have faith in. Only independent investigations by law enforcement professionals can determine the facts, and we believe such an investigation is sorely needed in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.”