Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 17 January 2018

Pope acknowledges pain of abuse among victims _ and priests

to a women’s prison. move him from ministry.
But his comments in his first Karadima had been a po-
speech of the day were litically connected, charis-
what many Chileans were matic and powerful priest
waiting to hear: Speak- who ministered to a wealthy
ing from the presidential Santiago community and
La Moneda palace, Fran- produced dozens of priest-
cis told Chilean President ly vocations and five bish-
Michelle Bachelet, law- ops. Victims went public
makers, judges and oth- with their accusations in
er authorities that he felt 2010 after complaining for
“bound to express my pain years to church authorities
and shame” that some of that Karadima had kissed
Chile’s clergy had sexu- and fondled them when
ally abused children in their they were teenagers.
care. While the cover-up con-
“I am one with my brother tinued to roil the church,
bishops, for it is right to ask many Chileans are still fu-
forgiveness and make ev- rious over Francis’ subse-
ery effort to support the quent decision in 2015 to
victims, even as we commit appoint a Karadima prote-
ourselves to ensuring that ge as bishop of the south-
such things do not happen ern city of Osorno. Bishop
Demonstrators protest against the Catholic church and the visit of Pope Francis as they hold a again,” the pope said. Juan Barros has denied
banner that reads in Spanish “Neither leftists nor fools. Bishop Barros accessory to Karadima. Francis did not refer by knowing about Karadima’s
Osorno suffers.” in Santiago, Chile, Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. name to Chile’s most noto- abuse but many Chileans
(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) rious pedophile priest, the don’t believe him, and his
By PETER PRENGAMAN who have been held col- tear gas and water can- Rev. Fernando Karadima, appointment has badly
NICOLE WINFIELD lectively responsible for the nons to break up an anti- who in 2011 was barred split the diocese.
Associated Press crimes of a few. pope protest outside Fran- from all pastoral duties and Francis referred again to
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Francis’ words were de- cis’ big open-air Mass in the sanctioned by the Vatican the scandal later in the
Pope Francis dove head livered amid unprece- capital, Santiago. to a lifetime of “penance day, but this time his words
first into the sex abuse dented opposition to his Despite the incidents, and prayer” for sexually were directed at the hun-
scandal that has devastat- visit: Three more churches huge numbers of Chileans molesting minors. Nor did dreds of priests gathered
ed the Catholic Church’s were torched overnight, turned out to see the pope he refer to the fact that the in Santiago’s cathedral
credibility in Chile, apolo- including one burned to on his first full day in Chile, emeritus archbishop of San- who have seen their influ-
gizing Tuesday for the “ir- the ground in the southern including an estimated tiago, a top papal adviser, ence and moral authority
reparable damage” to Araucania region where 400,000 for his Mass, and he has acknowledged he plummet as a result of the
victims, but also acknowl- Francis celebrates Mass on brought some inmates to knew of complaints against Karadima case and cover-
edging the “pain” of priests Wednesday. Police used tears with an emotional visit Karadima but didn’t re- up. q

Rebel ex-policeman among dead in Venezuela shootout

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) tain community outside of for a transparent investi- killed in the attack. freedom from a govern-
— Officials in Venezuela Caracas, Interior Minister gation into the deaths af- Perez, 36, had been one of ment that is starving its
confirmed Tuesday that a Nestor Reverol said. ter video images showed Venezuela’s most wanted people. He garnered tens
rebellious police officer Two police officers were Perez shouting over gunfire fugitives ever since, peri- of thousands of followers
who led a brazen helicop- killed and eight others that they wished to surren- odically posting videos on online and has piqued the
ter attack in Caracas last gravely injured, he said. der. A former police officer, Instagram calling upon curiosity of Venezuelans
year was among those “The terrorist acts com- action-movie star and pilot, Venezuelans to take to who either hail him as hero,
killed in a violent shootout mitted by this terrorist cell Perez leaped into the spot- the streets against what condemn him as a criminal
with security forces. showed the destabilizing light in June, when he stole he called President Nicolas or question if he might be
Oscar Perez was among objectives that they were a helicopter and used it to Maduro’s tyrannical gov- a ruse to support Maduro’s
the seven who died fighting pursuing,” Reverol said. lob grenades and fire at ernment. assertion that the nation is
against police and soldiers Opposition lawmakers and two government buildings Perez claimed that he was under attack by opposition
Monday in a small moun- human rights groups called in Caracas. Nobody was fighting for Venezuela’s conspirators.q