Pope Francis has begun
receiving Chilean bishops at the Vatican on Tuesday in a bid to address a child
abuse scandal within the Church in Chile that has come to haunt his papacy.
The
34 bishops, three of whom are already retired, are to hold private and group
meetings with the Argentine pontiff between Tuesday and Thursday.
“Firstly,
we want to share our pain and shame,” said Bishop Fernando Ramos, a spokesman
for the Chilean delegation.
“Pain
because there are victims of sex abuse, and shame because these abuses occurred
within the Church,” he told reporters.
The
visit comes two weeks after Francis held private meetings with three
victims of Chilean paedophile priest Fernando Karadima, and promised to adopt
“adequate and lasting” measures to stop child sex abuse within the Catholic
church.
Karadima
was forced into retirement in 2011 after eventually being found by the Holy See
to have been a serial abuser of minors during the 1980s and 1990s.
Controversial
cardinal Javier Errazuriz, a key advisor to Francis, was also summoned as part
of the Chilean delegation at the pontiff’s request.
Errazuriz
is accused by Karadima’s victims of ignoring and helping to cover up the abuses
committed by Karadima.
In
a statement, the Vatican said Francis believed it was “necessary to
examine in depth the causes and consequences, as well as the mechanisms that
have led, in certain cases, to concealment and serious omissions towards the victims.”
Speaking
to reporters, Bishop Ignacio Gonzalez said: “The main focus is the victims, we
can always make amends and move towards reconciliation with them.”
The
unprecedented summoning of the Chilean delegation is also a chance for Francis
to repair some of the damage done during his visit to Chile in January, when
his defence of controversial Chilean bishop Juan Barros caused a public outcry.
The
pontiff strongly defended Barros, who was also accused of covering up
Karadima’s abuses, saying that he was convinced of his innocence and demanding
“proof” before he would speak out against him.
He
later apologised to the victims, admitting he had made “grave mistakes” after
reading a 2,300-page report on the abuse in Chile.
Experts
and sources within Chilean church suggested the pope could remove Barros from
his duties and set in motion a major shake-up of the church hierarchy
within the Latin American nation.
AFP
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