Horacio Valenzuela

Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca (born 5 April 1954) is a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church, who was Bishop of Talca from 1996 to 2018.

Biography

Horacio Valenzuela was born in Santiago on 5 April 1954. He studied forestry at the Universidad de Concepción and the Universidad de Chile before entering the Major Seminary of Santiago. He was ordained a priest on 17 August 1985 by Cardinal Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín and filled a variety of pastoral assignments over the next decade.

Valenzuela said he never witnessed inappropriate kissing and that "Regarding the way in which he exercised spiritual direction, one must consider the strong character of Father Fernando which led him to correct it severely in order to educate: my experience is that this was not to exert undue pressure, control and manipulation. He corrected me many times and I appreciate it. We were all adults and if anyone felt uncomfortable he could get away".

On 18 May 2018, Valenzuela submitted his resignation to Pope Francis, as did all the Chilean bishops at the conclusion of a three-day meeting in Rome. Pope Francis accepted Valenzuela's resignation on 28 June 2018. In a farewell message to the people of his diocese, Valenzuela apologized in general terms "for what I did not do or did wrong", without mentioning the sexual abuse crisis or its victims. He declined to give interviews, even climbing out a window to avoid a reporter. In December 2018, the Vatican launched a formal investigation into allegations of clerical abuse of nuns in the Tacla Diocese while Valenzuela was bishop. Some victims alleged that Valenzuela was aware of the abuse.

Valenzuela had a private audience with Pope Francis on 15 April 2019.