SANTA FE, N.M. — A California-based Roman Catholic bishop confirmed Wednesday that he is under investigation by the Vatican for his handling of abuse and misconduct cases in his former diocese in the Las Cruces area of southern New Mexico.

In an online statement, Bishop Oscar Cantú confirmed a report from the Catholic News Agency about an investigation and said he planned to cooperate fully with any inquiry.

The disclosure comes amid public discussions by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops of a report detailing how clerics failed to hold to account ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick for many years after suspicions surfaced of serial sexual misconduct.