Vatican Accepts Resignation From Bishop Caught Masturbating In Viral Video Call Footage

A Catholic bishop has resigned from his position on Wednesday, Aug. 18, after images of him allegedly masturbating during a video call were leaked online.

Bishop Tomé Ferreira da Silva, a 60-year-old cleric who heads the São José do Rio Preto diocese, has relinquished his position a few days after images of him allegedly pleasuring himself on camera went viral across social media after being leaked online, the New York Daily News reported.

The images come from a video that is said to be a video call with another man that shows him in a half-naked state while he caressed his genitals. It remains unclear how the video or the images from the footage found their way on the internet.

Ferreira has reportedly admitted that the man in the video is indeed him. He is currently cooperating with the police to look into the matter and ascertain who the person who leaked the footage could be, according to Advocate.

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Ferreira, though both the Vatican and the diocese that Ferreira oversaw did not detail the reasoning behind the sudden resignation, the Associated Press reported.

Ferreira has been investigated by the Vatican on at least two previous occasions. In 2015, he was accused of taking money from the church and giving it to his driver, who was rumored to be his lover at the time. He has denied this allegation himself.

In 2018, the Vatican opened a probe against Ferreira for allegedly ignoring sexual abuse cases in his diocese, as well as having sexual correspondence with a minor. During this investigation, Ferreira stepped down from his position as coordinator of the Ribeirao Preto archdiocese, citing personal reasons.

None of these inquiries have publicly known outcomes, but media groups have been speculating that the leaked video of Ferreira masturbating was the last straw for the Vatican in relation to the disgraced bishop's actions.

It is not yet known who will replace Ferreira as bishop of the São José do Rio Preto diocese.