OCP recently became aware of sexual abuse allegations against Father Cesáreo Gabaráin, the prolific Spanish composer known for his song “Pescador de Hombres” who died in 1991. The alleged abuse took place in the 1970s. As his licensing agent in the U.S., OCP is deeply saddened by this news. His songs are beloved by many around the world and appear in missals and hymnals for many denominations. We stand with and pray for all victims of abuse, and for a just and successful investigation by the Archdiocese of Madrid.
We take allegations of this nature seriously, and for the sake of prudence we will be removing Father Gabaráin’s composer profile from our website, along with his songs and products, including songbooks, CDs and sheet music/octavos, as we await the results of the Archdiocese’s investigation. Many of his songs appear in our missals and hymnals, so we have initiated an internal review process to determine how best to handle those. We will also donate our publisher share of royalties from his songs to a victims support organization.
Please join us in prayer for the healing for all victims of abuse, for the healing and unity our Church, and for the soul and family of Father Gabaráin.