Peruvian bishops accused in forgery case aimed at removing cardinal

Published: 2004-09-16

LIMA, Peru (CNS) -- Two Peruvian bishops have been formally accused in a forgery case apparently aimed at discrediting Lima Cardinal Juan Cipriani Thorne. A district attorney in Lima filed the accusations Sept. 14 against retired Bishop Luis Bambaren Gastelumendi of Chimbote and Bishop Jorge Carrion Pavlich of Puno. A criminal court judge now must decide whether to bring charges against the bishops, a former employee of the bishops' conference and a former secretary of the Catholic Council on Culture, also accused. In comments to a Lima radio station Sept. 15, Archbishop Oscar Cantuarias Pastor of Piura said he did not believe Bishop Bambaren, former president of the Peruvian bishops' conference, was involved and attributed the accusations to unspecified "grudges and ill will." In October 2001, then-Justice Minister Fernando Olivera traveled to the Vatican to present the letters to church officials. Almost immediately they were determined to be forgeries.

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