Pope Francis today accepted the resignation of Bishop Juan Jose Pineda Fasquelle, the auxiliary bishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The bishop was at the center of allegations of sexual abuse and financial misconduct in the archdiocese which led to an apostolic visit in May 2017 at the Pope’s request. 

The Honduran prelate was a protégé of Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga, the archbishop of Tegucigalpa, and in recent months had been left in charge of the archdiocese in the cardinal’s absence. 

Cardinal Maradiaga is the coordinator of the C9 Group of Cardinals advising the Holy Father on Church (d)reform. 
In March, the Register obtained testimonies from two former seminarians detailing allegations of sexual misconduct by the bishop.  The two men and others feared reprisals from the prelate for speaking out.
As well as the abuse, Bishop Pineda, 57, was also reported to have a string of intimate male friends in Honduras and abroad whom he treated with gifts. 


The bishop was also accused of financial misconduct including misuse of $1.3 million from the Honduran government earmarked for charitable projects but which “completely disappeared.” 
News of sexual and financial misconduct was first reported by the Italian magazine L'Espresso last December.