Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s Catholic hierarchy is once again in the spotlight after police detained a senior priest on the Costa del Sol with the synthetic party drug known as “pink coke.” Officers intercepted 45-year-old Carlos Loriente in Torremolinos on 22 September as he headed for a night out.
They discovered several packets of the bright-coloured powder, a precision scale, and small bags inside his belongings, raising suspicions of personal use and possible distribution.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through both the local community and the wider Church. Loriente is not a fringe figure: a canon of Toledo cathedral, a theology doctor, and recently appointed director of the respected Instituto Teológico San Ildefonso. His academic profile and long service in church education have made the case especially damaging for a hierarchy already struggling to rebuild trust after years of abuse scandals.
A dangerous designer drug
Known on the street as pink coke or Tusi, the substance seized is not actually cocaine but a shifting cocktail of chemicals such as ketamine and MDMA dyed a distinctive pink. Its inconsistent composition makes every dose unpredictable and sometimes lethal, a fact Spanish authorities have repeatedly warned partygoers about as its popularity grows in nightlife hotspots.
Rapid suspension and internal probe
Within hours of the arrest, the Archdiocese of Toledo announced Loriente’s immediate suspension from all priestly and teaching duties, stressing that the incident was a matter of “personal responsibility.” An internal investigation is underway while the National Police continue their own inquiry. The Diocese of Málaga, where he was holidaying, confirmed he held no pastoral post in the province but lamented the damage to the reputation of “many devoted priests who serve faithfully.”
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A pattern of controversy
This is not the first time Loriente’s actions have raised eyebrows. In 2023, he publicly questioned the conviction of another priest for sexual abuse, using WhatsApp to voice support and sow doubt about the verdict. That intervention led to a complaint to the Vatican, though no formal punishment followed.
The latest scandal underscores the Catholic Church’s ongoing struggle to police its own ranks while maintaining credibility with a public increasingly sceptical of its moral authority.
Source: Infobae